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·      
Approved the revised
Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy attached in Appendix One
of the report.
 
·      
Agreed the case for
exempt information for the Appendices 2, 3 and 4, to be treated in
confidence, as the case for the public interest in
maintaining the exemption
outweighs the public interest in disclosing that
information.  
 
·      
Noted the following
fraud prevention policies in place for Somerset Council and that
these are due for review by
April2025:?  
 
-      
Anti-Bribery
Policy  
 
-      
Anti-Tax Evasion
Policy  
 
-      
Anti Money Laundering
Policy;  
 
·      
Acknowledged the new
provision in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act of
“Failure to Prevent Fraud” that will make companies and
partnerships liable for failing to
stop employees, agents, or others acting on
their behalf, for committing fraud for the benefit of the
organisation or its customer, including Somerset
Council. 
 
·      
Approved the fraud
action plan for 2024/25 and notes that an update will be presented
to Audit Committee in 2024 following SWAP Internal Audit’s
revised fraud baseline assessment and fraud risk register update,
to be completed by September 2024. 
 
·      
Approved the
publication of information regarding
the Council’s counter-fraud activities
covering the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, in adherence to
the requirements of the Local Government Transparency Code
2015.  
 
·      
Noted a Fraud
Officer is to be appointed on an
initial 6 to 12-month fixed term contract;
and  
 
·      
Noted
that data on staff completing fraud training will be
provided to Audit Committee by April
2025.