New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership
Audit and Risk Committee
Thursday 29th June 2023
10.00am to 12.00noon
Via Teams Meeting
Agenda
Committee Members
Nick Banks (Chair) Scrutton Bland
Geoff Dobson Independent Committee Member
Holly Field Suffolk County Council
David Pomfret College of West Anglia
Cllr Andrew Mellen Mid Suffolk District Council
In Attendance
Rosanne Wijnberg New Anglia LEP
Melanie Richardson New Anglia LEP
Lisa Roll New Anglia LEP
Aaron Widdows Price Bailey
Alice Boesen Price Bailey
Sam Slater Price Bailey
No. Item
1. Welcome & Introductions
2. Apologies
3. Declarations of Interest
4. Minutes from last meeting
Items for discussion
5.
Review Draft Annual Financial Statements incl. appendices
- confidential
For Recommendation
6. Corporate Risk - Risk Register - confidential Update
7. Local Assurance Framework Update
8. Meeting Schedule and Dates Discussion
9. Any Other Business
Date of next meetings: xx February 2024
1
Confidential
New Anglia Audit and Risk Committee Minutes (Unconfirmed)
21
st
February 2023
Present:
Nick Banks (NB)
Independent Chair
Geoff Dobson (GD)
Independent Committee Member
Holly Field (HF)
SCC
David Pomfret (DP)
College of West Anglia
In Attendance:
Rosanne Wijnberg (RW)
New Anglia LEP
Lisa Roll (LR)
New Anglia LEP
Helen Wilton (HW)
New Anglia LEP
Alice Boesen (AB)
Price Bailey
Aaron Widdows (AW)
Price Bailey
Actions from the Meeting
Review Draft Annual Financial Statements
AW to provide a breakdown of the fees based on the fees from last year demonstrating inflationary
costs and the cost of the additional remit of auditing standards.
It was agreed that the decision would be delegated to NB on receipt of the breakdown.
1
Welcome and Introductions
Nick Banks (NB) welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced Geoff Dobson as the new
independent committee member.
2 Apologies
Apologies were received from Stuart Dark.
3
Declarations of Interest
Full declarations of interest can be found at https://newanglia.co.uk/our-board/
4
Minutes from last meeting
The minutes of the meeting held on 28
th
June 2022 were reviewed and agreed.
RW provided an update on the actions from the last meeting:
It was confirmed that, following further investigation, the Food Innovation Centre had been retained as
an investment.
RW also confirmed that a review of NAC investments had been completed and all impairment issues
had been resolved prior to issuing the final accounts.
RW provided the meeting with an update on the process to implement County Deals and advised that
the functions of the LEP will be transferred to Norfolk & Suffolk County Councils noting that this is the
only LEP in the country being split before integration into the councils. Timelines have yet to be
confirmed.
2
5
Review Draft Annual Financial Statements incl. appendices – confidential
6 Annual Review of Governance Documents
RW presented the revised Committee Terms of Reference, Scheme of Delegation and Accountable
Body Agreement.
Amendments were agreed as follow:
One date needed updating to 2024.
ToR - risk is to be amended to reflect that strategic risk is to be managed by the LEP executive and
the Audit & Risk Committee has oversight of this risk
Government bodies to be changed to reflect new names
The additional “LEP” to be added where it has been omitted.
HF queried the make up of the committee meeting in order to be quorate.
RW confirmed that it had been agreed that at least one member of the LEP board needed to be
present.
The Committee agreed
• To approve the Terms of Reference, Scheme of Delegation and Accountable Body Agreement
subject to the above amendments
7
Corporate Risk Register - Confidential
RW presented the updated risk register and highlighted key items:
7
Local Assurance Framework
RW provided an update on the results of the annual review carried out in January which reviews
performance against the Local Assurance Framework.
It was confirmed that the LEP had met requirements.
8
Next Meeting
It was agreed this would be on the morning of 29
th
June.
9
Any Other Business
None
1
New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership
Audit and Risk Committee
Thursday 29
th
June 2023
Agenda Item 7
New Anglia LEP Governance – Local Assurance Framework monitoring
Author: Melanie Richardson
Summary
The LEP’s Assurance Framework outlines the way we work. This paper presents the results of
our quarterly monitoring of compliance with mandatory requirements and best practice
guidelines.
Recommendation
The Audit and Risk Committee is asked to note the results of monitoring our compliance with
New Anglia LEP’s 2023 Local Assurance Framework.
Background
The National Local Growth Assurance Framework explains how LEPs should appraise, monitor
and evaluate schemes to achieve value for money. It provides Government, stakeholders and
the public with the necessary assurances that LEPs have the policies and processes in place to
ensure the robust stewardship of public funds. It contains mandatory governance, accountability
and transparency requirements and non-mandatory best practice.
New Anglia LEP’s 2023 Local Assurance Framework follows the mandatory requirements and
additional best practice guidance set out in the Government’s National Local Growth Assurance
Framework, which seeks to provide a common framework of understanding of the assurance
required for local growth funding. The 2023 Local Assurance Framework can be viewed under
‘About the LEP Board’ here
New Anglia LEP’s 2023 Local Assurance Framework was approved by the LEP Board in May
2023.
2
Monitoring Compliance
The National Local Growth Assurance Framework Annex E checklist provides the basis for our
compliance monitoring arrangements. A member of the leadership team has been assigned to
each of the areas identified in the checklist and they take accountability for monitoring compliance
for their area, with the Finance and Governance Manager undertaking spot checks as required.
Compliance against the checklist is reviewed on a quarterly basis and reported to Audit and Risk
Committee twice per year. Annex A attached sets out the results of our March and June quarterly
reviews.
Overall, we are compliant with the mandatory requirements of the Assurance Framework
checklist.
It is customary at the start of each financial year to review our governance documentation. As a
result, these were taken to the LEP Board in May for approval and have recently been updated
on our website as part of our compliance checks. In addition, there were additional changes this
year as a result of the local elections held in May.
No compliance issues or actions have been raised as part of our Annual Performance Review.
The LEP Chair and Chief Executive and the s151 Officer also provide an annual Governance
Assurance Statement as part of the Annual Performance Review confirming that the LEP is
compliant with its Assurance Framework. We are required to publish our Governance Assurance
Statement on our website. This has can viewed here
Recommendation
The Audit and Risk Committee is asked to note the results of monitoring our compliance with
New Anglia LEP’s 2023 Local Assurance Framework.
Annex A
Quarterly Review of the Local Assurance Framework (LAF)
LAF requirement not met
Minor updates required
LAF requirement met
Local Assurance Framework
requirement
Annex E
Checklist
ref
Mar 23
review
June 23
review
Compliance issue
Alignment with the Accounting Officer System
Statement
1-5
2023 LAF to be added to website
2023 Governance Assurance statement to be added to website
2022 Gender Pay Gap report to be added to website
Corporate structure for LEPs
14
Updated Articles of Association to be added to website
Local Assurance Framework & website
15-23
Suffolk CC 21/22 accounts to be added to website
Websites
24
Local Engagement
25-26
Appointment Process for Board Members and Chairs
27-28
Requirement to appoint a new Deputy Chair
Diversity Statements
29
Requirement to appoint a new Equality & Diversity champion
Board renumeration and LEP Officer salaries
30
Code of Conduct
31
Conflicts of Interest
32
The LAF requires an annual update. At the LEP we require a six
monthly update. A small number of declarations remain
outstanding.
Complaints for Third Parties and the Public
35-37
Needs update for change of CEO, reference to updated Articles
of Association.
Whistleblowing Policy
38
Publication of meeting and agenda items
39
Handling confidential and exempt information
40
Management of Contracts
41
Government Branding
42
Annex A
Accountability and decision making
43-54
Updated Scheme of Delegation and Accountable Body
Agreement added to website
ToR and membership updated
The LEP Board
55-57
Chair and Deputy Chair
58-60
LEP Staff and Independent Secretariat
61
LEP Network: cooperation, collaboration and
partnership with other LEPs
62-63
The Accountable Body and Section 151 Officer
64-65
Section 151 Officer Role
66
Decisions relating to LEPs awarding public funds
67-80
As above, Scheme of Delegation added to website
Scrutiny and Audit arrangements
81
Website requirements
