Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority

Governance Committee Item:

26 June 2008

Annual Governance Statement 2007/08

Report of the Chief Officer

Contact: David Howells, Director of Corporate Services Tel: 02380 646833

1

Summary

1.1

The `Annual Governance Statement' is the formal statement that recognises, records and publishes the Authority's corporate governance arrangements. It is produced to meet the requirements of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003, incorporating the Accounts and Audit (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2006.

1.2

It effectively subsumes the former requirement to produce an annual `Statement of Internal Control' (SIC).

1.3

Guidance on preparing an Annual Governance Statement (AGS) has recently been issued by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). The guidance was used in preparing this first version of the new AGS.

1.4

The AGS must be completed and signed by the Chairman of the Authority and the Chief Officer for inclusion in the annual Statement of Accounts (also on this Committee's agenda).

1.5

The Annual Governance Statement for 2007/08 is set out as Appendix 1. It is based on details given in the `Governance Self-Assessment Matrix' provided in Appendix 2.

2

RecommendationsError! Bookmark not defined.

2.1

That the Committee reviews the comments and scores given against each of the examples of assurance set out in the `Governance Self-Assessment Matrix' (Appendix 2 to this report); and

2.2

That the Committee approves the Annual Governance Statement 2007/08 (Appendix 1 to this report) for inclusion in the Annual Statement of Accounts for 2007/08.

3

Resource implications

3.1

Other than the additional time spent by the officers and members in preparing this more comprehensive assurance of governance arrangements, there are no significant additional resources arising from the recommendations.

4

Risk analysis

4.1

The process of producing the Statement involves reviewing the adequacy of a wide range of controls and measures that are considered to be indicators of the effectiveness of the Authority's framework for good corporate governance. This process therefore contributes to the Authority's risk management regime.

4.2

Given that the need to prepare and publish an Annual Governance Statement is a requirement under the Accounts and Audit Regulations; failure to provide the Statement would undoubtedly lead to a qualified opinion by external auditors and inevitable damage to the Authority's reputation.

5

Equality impact assessment

5.1

The proposals within this report are considered compatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Human Rights Act 1998, and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

Background information [Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972]

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

_ The CIPFA Finance Advisory Network: Annual Governance Statement - Rough Guide for Practitioners

N.B. the list excludes:-

1. any other published works.

2. The documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.