Agenda item - Member Involvement

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Agenda item

Member Involvement

To consider the following matters raised by councillors:

 

(a)         Petitions: to receive any petitions submitted to the full Council or at the meeting itself;

(b)         Written Questions: to consider any written questions;

(c)         Letters: to consider any letters;

(d)       Notices of Motion: to consider any Notices of Motion referred from Council or submitted directly to the Committee.

Minutes:

(C)     LETTERS

 

(i)           Valley Gardens Project

 

38.1      The Committee considered a Letter from Councillor Wares that set out his disappointment with the Valley Gardens project audit in that it did not address a number of the concerns he had originally raised. On that basis, Councillor Wares requested that the committee requested the committee commission an external audit investigation of the matter.

 

38.2       The Chair provided the following response:

 

“Thank you for your letter, Councillor Wares.

You state that you have concerns with the report content, which you suspect emanate from the constraints imposed on the team by Audit and Standards and are concerned that the scope of the investigation was limited by those constraints, resulting in a narrow review of some documents and interviews with officers.

Fortunately, I can allay those concerns. The limits you refer to are the limits imposed by the Council’s constitution. Audit and Standards officers carry out their work within the constitutional rules which apply to Audit and Standards as well as the rules of professional practice for auditors. I am sure you’ll agree that it can be no other way.

Their remit is limited to propriety, risk of fraud or corruption, best value, or of a conflict of interest. Within that remit, The Audit found that the Council’s decision-making procedures had been followed and there had been no failure of governance. Further, there was no failure in achieving value for money.

The fact that, as a Member, you may not agree with the merits of the project or the policy choices, is not a matter for this committee. That is for the policy committee to decide.

Having received the report of Internal Audit, and in the absence of anything questioning the integrity or independence of the investigation, the Committee must take its conclusions at face value.

I am glad you state you do not question the professionalism of the audit investigation team involved. However, some might see some of the content of your letter as undermining that position.

My view is that they have carried out the investigation properly and within the scope set for them by this committee, and that commissioning an external investigation would be both unnecessary and inappropriate.

As a result of all this, I propose that the Committee simply note your letter”.

 

38.3      Councillor Nemeth moved a motion to request an officer report on the request made in Councillor Wares letter.

 

38.4      Councillor Peltzer Dunn formally seconded the motion.

 

38.5      The Chair put the motion to the vote that failed.

 

38.6      The Chair proposed noting the Letter that was agreed.

 

38.7      RESOLVED- That the Committee note the Letter.

Supporting documents:

 


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