Agenda and minutes

Councillor Elizabeth Evans apologised for her inability to attend the meeting due to being on other Council duties.

None.

Councillor Keith Henson declared a personal interest in relation to item 5.

Consideration was given to the Annual Governance Statement 2022-23 update. Following its consideration at the previous meeting held on 24 January 2024, there had been no amendments to the Statement. It was reported that the Annual Governance Statement 2022-23 would be presented to Full Council for approval later that afternoon.

It was AGREED to:

i)      note and consider its contents, and

ii)     recommend that Council approves the Annual Governance Statement 2022-23.

The Corporate Lead Officer- Finance and Procurement presented the Ceredigion County Council and Ceredigion Harbour Authority Statement of Accounts 2022/23 highlighting both procedural and presentational matters.

The Committee commented upon and queried certain matters on the accounts.

Members thanked the Corporate Lead Officer - Finance and Procurement and Corporate Manager - Core Finance and their staff for their hard work in producing the Statement.

It was AGREED to recommend to Council that the Statement of Accounts for Ceredigion County Council and Ceredigion Harbour Authority Statements of Accounts for 2022/23 be approved as presented and that the Chairman would report the Committee’s recommendation to Council that afternoon.

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Mr Derwyn Owen from Audit Wales to introduce the report.

Mr Owen highlighted the information contained in the report to Members. Congratulations were extended to the Corporate Lead Officer - Finance and Procurement and his Officers on their work in completing the audit.

The Corporate Lead Officer - Finance and Procurement provided an overview of the plan in place to address the Other Significant issues arising from the audit.

Mr Owen explained that Audit Wales intended to issue an unqualified audit opinion on the accounts for 2021-22, once the Local Authority had provided them with a Letter of Representation following the Full Council meeting later that afternoon.

Committee Members thanked all concerned, the Officers of the Council and Audit Wales, for the co-operation shown in the audit of accounts and welcomed a positive report.

It was AGREED:

i)      to note the content of the report;

ii)     to congratulate the service on this excellent report; and

iii)   that a progress report on addressing the Other Significant issues arising from the audit be included on the Committee’s Forward Work Programme.