Agenda item

FRAUD AND CORRUPTION UPDATE REPORT

Minutes:

The Service Director – One West introduced this item. He noted that this meeting was taking place during International Fraud Awareness Week, as part of which CIPFA was sponsoring a number of initiatives. CIPFA had released a national survey that day on pensions fraud and corruption. He reminded Members that the Committee had a duty under its terms of reference to review the Council’s Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy periodically. He introduced Joanne Buchan from One West who had assisted the Council in developing its anti-fraud and anti-corruption policies.

 

The Head of Audit and Assurance presented the 4 policy documents contained in Appendices 1-4. He explained that the Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy was an umbrella strategy that brought together the specific policies contained in the other documents. The Strategy adheres to the themes and principles of the CIPFA Local Government Counter Fraud and Corruption Strategy and links in to the Council’s Corporate Strategy Priorities. As a key part of fraud prevention the strong anti-fraud culture that had developed in the Council had to be maintained. Members, staff and partners of the Council must follow the principles of the policy. The policy had been updated to take account of the Bribery Act 2010, which makes it an offence for a commercial organization to fail to prevent bribery carried out on its behalf.

 

The Service Director – One West said that it was important that the Committee was seen to endorse these policies, so it was proposed that the Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy would be preceded by a short foreword written by the Chair. The Chair said that it would have been helpful if the documents had included tracked changes, so that the extent of the revisions was visible at a glance. He asked for an estimate of how much the documents had changed from the previous versions. Ms Parker said that an attempt to make the Strategy document more interesting and easier to read. Otherwise the amendments related to a change in the anti-money laundering regulations in 2017 and an update of contact details.

May change on money laundering.

 

Before receiving a presentation on a current fraud case the Committee, having been satisfied that the public interest would be better served by not disclosing relevant information, RESOLVED that the public should be excluded from the meeting, and that the reporting of this part of the meeting should be prevented, in accordance with the provisions of section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, because of the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Schedule 12A of the Act as amended.

 

After the presentation the Committee RESOLVED:

 

a)  to review and comment the updated Anti-Fraud & Corruption Strategy (Appendix 1);

b)  to review and comment on the updated Whistle Blowing Policy (Appendix 2);

c)  to review and comment on the updated Anti-Money Laundering Policy & Guidance (Appendix 3);

d)  to review and comment on the updated Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy (Appendix 4);

e)  to note work carried out by the Internal Audit Team related to Anti-Fraud & Corruption.

 

 

 

Supporting documents: