Minutes of a Meeting of Doddinghurst Parish Council Finance and Resources Committee held on Thursday Wednesday 18th May 2022 at 7.30pm in Parish Room (adjacent to the Parish Room), Church Lane, Doddinghurst CM15 0NJ
Present: Cllrs. Mrs D Dicker (Chairman), J Le Page and A Smith.
Also Present: Mrs C Fuller – Clerk/RFO
1. Apologies for absence: Cllr M Capon
2. Appointment of Committee Chairman
In accordance with the Committee Constitution, Cllr. Dicker was elected Committee Chairman.
3. Declaration of Interests: None
4. Minutes of Meeting held on 18th November 2021
Resolved to approve.
5. Public Representation: None
6. Updates on actions completed since last meeting:
a) Bank Reconciliation for the year ended 31st March 2022 has been completed and approved by the Internal Auditor.
b) External Audit Return is being completed and will be presented for approval by the full Council at its next meeting. The deadline for making the Return is 1st July 2022.
c) Audit Variance Analysis has been completed and will form part of the Annual Return.
d) Tax Return has been completed and submitted and P60’s issued to all staff.
e) Internal Audit was completed by Mr Michael Raistrick on 16th May 2022 and his letter reported that all evidence examined confirms the Council’s governance, risk management and control processes are operated at a high standard and the internal control objectives have been met. He has signed the Annual Internal Audit report for 2021/22 accordingly.
f) VAT Returns for 2021/22 have been made. The 2021/22 Q4 VAT refund of £413.38 was received on 3rd May 2022.
7. Actual v Budgeted Income & Expenditure Outcome for 2021/22:
See Appendix 1. It was noted in Precept Income that there is a variance of +£37,907 as BBC had paid the first instalment to the Council in the 2021/22 financial year. Members expressed a wish for the Council to budget three years ahead and the Clerk and Cllr. A Smith will work on this.
8. Annual Governance & Accountability Return (AGAR) Regime 2021/22
The Clerk reported that the completed AGAR documents would be presented to the June meeting of the full Council for approval. They and the required accompanying documents would be submitted to the External Auditor in time to meeting the 1st July deadline. The Notice of Public Rights to view the unaudited accounts has been posted onto the Council’s website and notice boards as required.
9. AGAR Governance Sign-off:
a) Members will consider the Standing Orders and Financial Regulations and make recommendations for any changes at the next Council meeting. An amendment will need to be made to the Financial Regulations to enable the Council to operate a credit card as agreed at the last Council meeting.
b) Transparency Act. The Annual Return will be published on the Council’s website and displayed on notice boards as required. Report of expenditure >£100 will be published in the Annual Report (re Transparency Act for smaller authority)
c) Financial Risk Assessment. All payments over £50 are authorised by two bank signatories plus the Clerk/RFO before payment. A full financial risk assessment will be considered by the Clerk and Cllr. A Smith.
10. External Audit Submission and Governance Statement:
Resolved: Approved the External Audit submission and Governance Statement compliance for submission to Full Council in June 2021.
11. Risk Assessments:
Members will shortly receive a Risk Assessment Schedule for 2022/23 with task assignments and Risk Assessments are usually completed over the summer.
12. Insurance Renewal:
Agreed at the Council meeting on 12th May.
13. Any Other Urgent Business: None
The meeting was closed at 9.05 pm
Signed: …………………………. Deborah Dicker (Chairman) Dated: 16th November 2022