Accessibility links

1
Language selection

Agenda item

Changes to the Membership of the Governance and Audit Committee

Minutes:

The Monitoring Officer submitted a report, the purpose of which, was to consider changes to the membership of the Governance and Audit Committee to take effect following the Annual Meeting of Council on 18 May 2022.

 

The Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change presented the report and explained, that whilst the Authority already has a Governance and Audit Committee, the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 made this a statutory requirement. The Measure makes a number of requirements in relation to the Audit Committee’s membership, including the appointment of the Chairperson and the Committee’s remit.

 

The Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021, has now added additional responsibilities to the Committee linked with governance, including consideration of aspects of performance and complaints. 

 

The Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change advised that the current membership of the Governance and Audit Committee comprises 12 Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) Members and one Independent (Lay) Member.

 

Members will recall that under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021, it will be a legislative requirement from 5 May 2022 for one third of the membership of the Committee to be Lay Members.   It is therefore proposed that the membership of the Governance and Audit Committee is changed to 12 Members consisting of 8 BCBC Members and 4 Lay Members and that Council approve the appointment of additional Lay Members to ensure it is compliant with the legislation from 5 May 2022 onwards.

 

The guidance recommends that a Lay Member should not be appointed for more than two full terms of a local authority. Any Lay Member with voting rights is subject to the provisions of the Code of Conduct for Members.

 

The next sections of the report outlined the recruitment process for Lay Members, which the Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change elaborated upon for Council, as well as the criteria to be adopted for suitable candidates to be considered suitable to be shortlisted for interview.

 

Shortlisted candidates would then be interviewed by an Officer Panel.

 

A Member sought confirmation that a Lay Member would have to be Chairperson of the Governance and Audit Committee following next year’s Elections and, if so, would they receive training for the role. He also asked what level of remuneration the Lay Member would receive as Chairperson.

 

The Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change confirmed that extensive training would be made available both internally from Officers and from an external provider, probably the WLGA.

 

The Group Manager – Legal and Democratic Services added that there would be an enhanced daily payment rate for the Chairperson and statutory guidance was still being awaited on the detail of this and on the training regime for Lay Members, including the Chairperson. 

 

RESOLVED:                                That Council:

 

(1)      Approved the changes to the membership of the Governance and Audit Committee as outlined at paragraph 4.2 of the report to take effect following the Annual Meeting of Council on 18 May 2022;

 

(2)     Delegated the process for selecting and recommending appropriate Lay Members to an Officer Panel comprising the Monitoring Officer, Chief Finance Officer and Head of Internal Audit;  

 

(3)     Receives a further report advising of the appointments.

   

Supporting documents:

 

A to Z Search

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. H
  9. I
  10. J
  11. K
  12. L
  13. M
  14. N
  15. O
  16. P
  17. Q
  18. R
  19. S
  20. T
  21. U
  22. V
  23. W
  24. X
  25. Y
  26. Z