Agenda item

Report number: PAS/WS/23/006

The Committee received Report number PAS/WS/23/006, which sought members approval of the 2021 to 2022 Statement of Accounts for West Suffolk Council (Appendix A), in accordance with powers delegated to it under the Council’s constitution.

It was reported that the statutory requirements for the report and approval of the Council’s annual financial statements were set out in the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.  The regulations require the council to submit draft accounts to its external auditors, currently Ernst and Young (EY) by 31 May each year, with member scrutiny and approval of the accounts required once the audit had been concluded by 31 July each year.  Due to Covid-19 and in response to a consultation exercise carried out by it, the government had issued regulations – the Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2021, to amend these deadlines in relation to the 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022 accounts.  The revised dates were 1 August for the draft accounts and 30 November for final approval and publication.

Due to the planned phased approach to delivering the 2021 to 2022 audits across Suffolk, the external audit of the draft accounts for West Suffolk did not begin until mid-February 2023 and it was therefore not possible to complete the audit and publish the accounts by the end of November 2022 in line with the regulations.  This situation was allowed for by Regulation 10, paragraph (2a) of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.

The outcome of EY’s review of the accounts was provided in the Annual Results Report, which were included on the Committee’s agenda (PAS/WS/23/004 – Appendix A and the Updated Addendum), along with a verbal update by EY giving their current position as of this evening (30 March 2023).

The attached Statement of Accounts (Appendix A) had been amended, as appropriate, to take on board issues raised by the audit process up to the date of distribution.

The covering report summarised financial highlights in 2021 to 2022; revenue expenditure; capital expenditure; usable reserves; pension fund; annual governance statement and payments to councillors.

The Director (Resources and Property) wished to thank the council’s finance team for its work in pulling the 2021 to 2022 accounts together, as it had been a challenging time in completing this audit alongside finalising the council’s budget for 2023 to 2024 and closing down the 2022 to 2023 statement of accounts at the same time. 

The Director (Resources and Property) then drew the Committee’s attention to the balance sheet and explained that overall, the long-term assets of West Suffolk.  

The Committee scrutinised the draft accounts and asked questions to which responses were provided.

In response to a question raised asking Brandon Country Park was not included in the list of venues on page 132 of the Statement of Accounts, officers advised that Brandon Country Park was owned by West Suffolk Council and was therefore not classed as an external/outside body.

In response to a question raised on how Brandon Country Park was performing financially, officers agreed to provide a written response.

At the conclusion of the discussions, the Committee voted on the recommendations in turn, as follows:

Councillor Nick Clarke moved the first recommendation, this was duly seconded by Councillor Marion Rushbrook, and with the vote being unanimous, it was:

          RESOLVED:

That the Committee approves the 2021 to 2022 Statement of Accounts for West Suffolk Council (Appendix A) attached to Report number PAS/WS/23/006, in accordance with powers delegated to it under the council’s constitution.

Councillor Karen Richardson moved the second recommendation, this was duly seconded by Councillor Marion Rushbrook, and with the vote being unanimous, it was:

          RESOLVED:

That the Chair of the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee signs the certification of the 2021 to 2022 Statement of Accounts on behalf of the Committee.

Councillor Nick Clarke moved the third recommendation, this was duly seconded by Councillor James Lay, and with the vote being 6 for and 4 against, it was:

          RESOLVED:

That the Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Resources and Property, be given delegated authority to make any changes that may be required up to the date of publication.