Issue - meetings

(i)       to approve the Annual Governance Statement as included in the Council’s unaudited Annual Accounts for the financial year 2018/19;

(ii)      to note the content of the Council’s unaudited Annual Accounts 2018/19;

(iii)      to note the content of the unaudited Annual Accounts 2018/19 of the Council’s registered charities;

(iv)     to note that following this meeting the Council’s and the registered charities unaudited Annual Accounts would be finalised, signed and submitted to the Council’s external auditors, KPMG, and Audit Scotland;

(v)      to note that the Audit, Risk & Scrutiny Committee on 26 June 2019 would receive the Council’s audited Annual Accounts for consideration and approval prior to their signature by the Chief Officer - Finance, Chief Executive and a Council Leader;

(vi)     to note that the Audit, Risk & Scrutiny Committee of 26 June 2019 would also receive the external auditor’s report on the annual accounts for debate and consideration and that this report will set out the auditor’s findings and conclusions, highlight the significant issues arising from the audit of the annual accounts and inform Elected Members of the proposed audit opinion in advance of the accounts being certified;

(vii)     to note that the Audit, Risk & Scrutiny Committee on 26 June 2019 would also receive the audited Annual Accounts for the registered charities for consideration and approval prior to their signature along with the associated external auditor’s report; and

(viii)    to note the thanks to the Chief Officer Finance and his staff for the work undertaken to get the unaudited accounts before the Committee.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which provided an overview of the Council’s 2018/19 unaudited accounts; presented the unaudited annual accounts for the registered charities whereby the Council was the sole trustee and also presented the annual governance statement.

The report recommended:

That the Committee -

(a)      approve the Annual Governance Statement as included in the Council’s unaudited Annual Accounts for the financial year 2018/19;

(b)      note the content of the Council’s unaudited Annual Accounts 2018/19;

(c)      note the content of the unaudited Annual Accounts 2018/19 of the Council’s registered charities;

(d)      note that following this meeting the Council’s and the registered charities unaudited Annual Accounts would be finalised, signed and submitted to the Council’s external auditors, KPMG, and Audit Scotland;

(e)      note that the Audit, Risk & Scrutiny Committee on 26 June 2019 would receive the Council’s audited Annual Accounts for consideration and approval prior to their signature by the Chief Officer - Finance, Chief Executive and a Council Leader;

(f)       note that the Audit, Risk & Scrutiny Committee of 26 June 2019 would also receive the external auditor’s report on the annual accounts for debate and consideration and that this report will set out the auditor’s findings and conclusions, highlight the significant issues arising from the audit of the annual accounts and inform Elected Members of the proposed audit opinion in advance of the accounts being certified; and

(g)      note that the Audit, Risk & Scrutiny Committee on 26 June 2019 would also receive the audited Annual Accounts for the registered charities for consideration and approval prior to their signature along with the associated external auditor’s report.

The Director of Resources advised that Aberdeen were the first Local Authority to have completed the accounts process and congratulated the Chief Officer Finance and his team for the achievement.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to note the thanks given to the Chief Officer Finance and his staff for the work undertaken to get the unaudited accounts before the Committee; and

(ii)      to otherwise approve the recommendations contained in the report.