Agenda and decisions

To receive any apologies for absence; and to receive notification of substitutions.

At this point Members must declare whether they have a disclosable pecuniary interest, or other interest, in any of the items on the agenda, unless it is already entered in the register of members’ interests.

A verbal announcement from the Chair.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on18th July 2024 and to note the action log.

The minutes of the meeting on 18^th July 2024 were approved as an accurate record.

The Action Log was noted by the Committee.

The Committee to receive the report which provides an update on the improvement work and status of Best Value Notice.

The Committee RESOLVED to:

a)    Note the contents of the letter from Max Soule, Deputy Director, Local Government Intervention and Stewardship, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

b)    Recognise the progress that has been made and the work undertaken by staff, Elected Members, partners and agencies to address the areas of identified improvement

c)     Note the close down arrangements for the current improvement programme (phase 3)

d)    Note the proposed revised future role for the Independent Improvement Board

Committee to note progress on the implementation of internal audit actions and confirm the frequency of the reports going forward

The Committee RESOLVED to:

To note and endorse progress on the implementation of internal audit actions

Committee to receive the report which sets out proposed changes to the Combined Authority’s CPR’s in the constitution in line with the changes being brought into effect under the Procurement Act 2023.

The Committee RESOLVED to recommend to the Combined Authority Board to approve the changes to the Contract procedure Rules (CPR’s) within the constitution which is to be discussed and approved at Board on 16th of October 2024 and will become effective when the new legislation is implemented.

Committee to receive the report which provides an update from the Internal Auditors.

The Committee RESOLVED to note the report.

The Committee to receive the report which requests that the Audit and Governance Committee consider and agree to appoint a new independent person to the Audit and Governance Committee.

The Committee RESOLVED to:

a)    Recommend to the CPCA Board that a new independent person is appointed to sit on Audit Committee for a period of four years which may be renewed up to a maximum of one further term (i.e. total maximum 8 years).

b)    Recommend that the CPCA Board agrees to delegate to the Executive Director of Resources and the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chair of the Audit and Governance Committee, authority to finalise the draft role description, skills, competencies and person specification attached as Appendix 1 and to approve the advert.

c)     Recommend to the CPCA Board that the recruitment of the new Independent Member be led by a panel consisting of the Chairman of the Audit and Governance Committee and three members of the three main political parties of the committee supported by the Executive Director of Resources and the Monitoring Officer. Nominations for members of the committee be provided.

d) Following the recruitment process, a report to formally appoint the Independent   Person will be presented to a future CPCA Board meeting

The Committee to review and agree the work programme.

The Committee RESOLVED to:

a)    Approve the work programme

b)    Amend the work programme so that the December meeting be rescheduled to 28^th November.

To determine whether the public and press be excluded from the meeting in accordance with Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended, as the following item of business has an exempt appendix and the discussion may involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of schedule 12A of the Act; information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

It was resolved that the press and public be excluded from the meeting on the grounds that the next report contains exempt information under Part 1 of Schedule 12A the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, and that it would not be in the public interest for this information to be disclosed. The public interest in maintaining the exemption must be deemed to outweigh the public interest in its publication.

Committee to review the Corporate Risk Register and undertake a deep dive into Cyber Security Risk

The Committee RESOLVED to:

a)    To endorse the Corporate Risk Register and Heatmap

b)    To undertake a deep dive into Cyber Security risk

c)     To note that the annual risk appetite statement exercise has taken place

Date of the next meeting is 10am on the 8^th November 2024. Meeting venue: Pathfinder House, Huntingdonshire DC.