Meeting Details

There were no declarations of Members' interests in respect of any item on the agenda.

A report by the Chief Financial Officer requested the Board consider the reports from the Board's External Auditor for the year ended 31 March 2018 to those charged with governance.

The External Auditor advised a correction to the Key Messages in appendix 2 of the report.  Under Financial management and sustainability item 2 should have read effective budgetary monitoring and not effective budgetary arrangements.    She advised this would be corrected for the final copy of the report.

Discussion took place on medium and long term planning and how this can be achieved when funding is only known on an annual basis.    It was advised medium and long term planning can be still be achieved as plans can be made using different scenarios.

Further discussion took place on the budget deficit and the Chief Financial Officer advised a report would be presented in November for agreement of a recovery plan.

The Vice-Chair sought clarification on how the statement in appendix 1 of the report relating to failure to achieve a prescribed financial objective related to the Board.

In response the External Auditor advised this was generic and she would have to check its inclusion with her colleague, thereafter she would advise a response through the Chief Financial Officer.

Thereafter the Board agreed to:

1. note the reports from the External Auditor that were within appendices 1 and 2 of the report;
   
   
2. task the Chief Financial Officer with presenting a report on the budget deficit to the November meeting; and
   
   
3. task the External Auditor with seeking clarification on the query from Ms Lester and thereafter issuing a response.

Ms Brown entered the meeting during discussion of this item.

Under reference to paragraph 10 of the minute of the meeting dated 28 June 2018 a report by the Chief Financial Officer submitted the Audited Annual Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018 to the Board for consideration.

The Board joined the Vice-Chair in thanking the Chief Financial Officer for producing a vary clear and concise report on what was a difficult subject.

Thereafter the Board agreed to approve:

1. the Audited Annual Accounts for the financial year 2017/18; and
   
   
2. the signing of the accounts by the Chief Officer, Chief Financial Officer and the Chair of the Board and thereafter the submitting to Audit Scotland.