Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 June were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

The Chief Executive reported that no questions had been received under Standing Order 35.

The Chief Executive reported that no questions had been received under Standing Order 7(3) and 7(5).

There were no urgent items for consideration.

The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to declare any interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations were made.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Corporate Resources which presented the 2014/15 Statement of Accounts for approval, provided information relating to the main areas of the accounts and reported the key findings from the external audit of the accounts.  The Committee also considered a Letter of Representation to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Copies of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 6’, and the Letter of Representation are filed with these minutes.

It was noted that PwC had conducted a thorough audit and this was their last year of auditing Leicestershire County Council. PwC had found the 2014/15 accounts to be of a high standard and made no key findings. They would be handing over to KPMG for the coming year.

It was clarified that whilst PwC had charged the County Council a fee of £2,789 for the certification of claims and returns in the 2013/14 period, for 2014/15 there was no fee to be paid for the certification of claims and returns because they no longer required external audit.

With regard to the Pension Fund Accounts and the 20 year deficit spreading period it was noted that the Local Pensions Committee and the Local Pensions Board had a role in scrutinising this area.

A question was asked regarding the table on page 74 of the Agenda pack which showed that the amount of County Council employees earning £50,000 or more per annum had increased in the 2014/15 year although the text accompanying the table stated that there had been a reduction in the number earning over £50,000.  Members were informed that the figures in the table were correct but the text accompanying the table was incorrect and the amount of County Council employees earning £50,000 or more per annum had increased in the 2014/15 year.

RESOLVED:

That the Statement of Accounts for 2014/15 be approved.