Issue - meetings

(i)       to note the response provided in relation to a members question;

(ii)       to note the Annual Report for 2019/20;

(iii)      to note that the Chief Internal Auditor has confirmed the organisational independence of Internal Audit;

(iv)      to note that there has been no limitation to the scope of Internal Audit work during 2019/20; and

(v)      to note the outcome of Internal Audit’s self-assessment against the requirements of the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards.

The Committee had before it a report by the Interim Chief Internal Auditor which presented the Internal Audit Annual report for 2019/20.

The report recommended:-

That the Committee -

(a)      note the Annual Report for 2019/20;

(b)      note that the Chief Internal Auditor has confirmed the organisational independence of Internal Audit;

(c)      note that there has been no limitation to the scope of Internal Audit work during 2019/20; and

(d)      note the outcome of Internal Audit’s self-assessment against the requirements of the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards.

In response to a question relating to the staffing capacity within internal audit, the Interim Chief Internal Auditor advised that the section had been under capacity due to sickness and staff leaving employment.  He further advised that recruitment within Aberdeenshire Council had been frozen and that he was looking to see if he could recruit internally to support the internal audit team.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to note the response provided in relation to a member’s question; and

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