Report to:	Audit Committee
Date:	5 July 2024
By:	Assistant Chief Executive
Title of report:	Assessment of the Corporate Governance Framework and Annual Governance Statement for 2023/24
Purpose of report:	To consider the draft report to the Governance Committee on the Annual Assessment of the Corporate Governance Framework and Annual Governance Statement.
RECOMMENDATION:  The Committee is recommended to: 1) Consider the draft report to the Governance Committee and its appendices (set out in Appendix A); and 2) Confirm whether there are any changes to the Annual Governance Statement that the Committee wishes to recommend to the Governance Committee.

1. Supporting Information

1.1     Under its terms of reference, it is the role of this Committee: “To review the Council’s assurance statements, includingthe Annual Governance Statement, ensuring that they properly reflect the risk environment, and any actions required to improve it.”

1.2     The Council publishes its AnnualGovernance Statement (AGS) in compliance with the requirements of the Accountsand Audit Regulations 2015. It is also reported separately to the Governance Committee as part of the AnnualAssessment of the Corporate Governance Framework.

1.3     The draft Governance Committee report is attached as Appendix A, and the Annual Governance Statement is included as Appendix 1 to the draft report. Any comments the Committee wishes to make will be reported to the Governance Committee at its meeting on 16 July 2024. In reviewing the AGS report, Members should consider whether it properly reflects the Council’s risk and internal control environment.

PHILIP BAKER

Assistant Chief Executive

Contact officers:

Russell Banks, Orbis Chief Internal Auditor, 07842 362739

Bekki Freeman, Solicitor, 07584 262522

Georgina Seligmann, Governance and Democracy Manager, 01273 482355

Local Member: All

BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS

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