Councillor Moir (East Dunbartonshire Council), Councillor Paul Edlin (East Renfrewshire Council), Councillor Kenny McLean (Glasgow City Council), Councillor David Wilson (Inverclyde Council), Councillor Allan Stubbs (North Lanarkshire Council), Councillor Richard Nelson and Councillor Robert Brown (South Lanarkshire Council). 

 

There were no declarations of interest or transparency statements intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting. 

 

Under reference to item 2 of the Minute of the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 11 September 2023, there was submitted a report by the Treasurer relative to the Annual Audit Report on the Annual Accounts 2022/23. 

The report intimated that the Local Authority Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2014 required the audited accounts to be approved for signature no later than 30 September each year. Section 10 of the Regulations required the Joint Committee to consider any report made by the appointed auditor before deciding whether to sign the audited accounts. 

The findings of the appointed auditor, Azets, were presented in the Annual Audit Report, which formed Appendix 1 to the report. There were audit adjustments relating to a misstatement of interest receivable, now reclassified as Other Income and an adjustment to pension figures, following receipt of revised actuarial reports and the calculation of the pension asset ceiling.

The report advised that following approval, the audited accounts would be submitted to the Convener, Treasurer and the Head of Economy & Development, Renfrewshire Council, for secure digital signature.

It was noted that in relation to the Green Network Partnership Unusable reserves, the middle column in the first table of page 79 of the accounts should read ‘Employee Statutory Adjustment Account’.

Gary Devlin thanked members for scheduling this special meeting of the Joint Committee.  Gary presented Azets Annual Audit Report on the Annual Accounts 2022/23 to members and advised that Azets intended to provide an unqualified opinion on the accounts; that the accounts presented to the audit team were of a good quality; and that due to the quality of the responses received from the finance team in Renfrewshire Council, Azets were able to conduct the audit work efficiently and effectively. On behalf of the Joint Committee, the Convener thanked the finance team in Renfrewshire Council for the work undertaken in concluding the audit of the annual accounts.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the findings of the 2022/23 audit, as contained in the Annual Audit Report which formed Appendix 1 to the report, be noted; and

(b) That the 2022/23 Audited Annual Accounts, which formed Appendix 2 to the report, be approved for signature.