Contact: Gary Smith, ext 7691 Email: [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 This report accompanies the sister paper which concerns improving the Council's overall direction of travel whereas this paper responds specifically to recommendations from the auditor. The following decisions are sought:

(a) That Cabinet welcomes the comments by the District Auditor and approves the approach laid out in appendix one as the County Council's formal response to the Annual Audit and Inspection Letter.

(b) That Cabinet ask departments, as part of their corporate submissions to the direction of travel self-assessment 2006, to include progress against the auditor's observations contained within the body of the audit letter.

2 Reason

2.1 This decision will strengthen the Council's overall ability to perform but supports mostly Aim five (Improving Services).

2.2 This paper outlines the Council's formal response to the District Auditor's 2005 Annual Audit and Inspection Letter and highlights the main recommendations. It then identifies how the Council is reacting to the findings in terms of actions, lead officers and timescales.

3 Other options considered and rejected

3.1 None

4 Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or other Executive Member consulted

4.1 None

5 Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

5.1 None

6 Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent

6.1 None

Approved by: .......................................... Date: ..............................
Councillor T K Thornber, CBE