This meeting will include the consideration of the council’s accounts for 2023/24 and the possible exclusion of the press and public from part of the meeting to discuss a confidential matter. The Committee will also hear about the work of Internal Audit, and specifically the implementation of management actions arising during internal audit work.

Internal Audit and Anti-Fraud

The committee will receive a report on the implementation of recommendations made by Internal Audit to the council. This report will cover the period from 1st April 2023 to the date of the meeting, and will list the recommendations made by Internal Audit, who is responsible for implementing them, and whether they have been implemented. The report will provide details of the processes and methods deployed by Internal Audit to meet the relevant professional standards in this area. The report explains that there is an increasing demand from Directors

for more accurate, robust and better-quality management information on the implementation of audit recommendations; specifically, direct attestation from Internal Audit that recommendations have been implemented. The report explains that a significant number of the recommendations made in 2023/24 have been identified for priority follow-up. The priority recommendations are those which relate to audits which resulted in a 'Limited Assurance' opinion from Internal Audit. A limited assurance opinion means that, while the auditors did not find evidence of serious problems, they could not obtain enough information to give their full assurance. You can see a full list of Internal Audit reports, including the assurance level, in Appendix A of the report, linked below.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

It is recommended that the committee exclude the press and public from the remainder of the meeting following the consideration of item 4 on the agenda. The committee will be asked to agree the following motion:

“That, under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972¹, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985², the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting for the consideration of the Section Two business on the grounds that it contains information defined as Exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A³ to the Local Government Act,1972.” If this motion is agreed, the meeting will continue without members of the public or the press present.

PwC Forensic Audit of the Homecare Contract

The committee will receive an update from PwC on their ongoing forensic audit of the Homecare Contract.

Tower Hamlets Statement of Accounts 2023/24

The Committee will consider the Statement of Accounts 2023/24 for the council. The accounts summarise the council's financial performance in the 2023/24 financial year.

Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Capital Strategy 2025/26

The committee will consider a report on the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and the Capital Strategy for 2025/26. The Treasury Management Strategy Statement sets out how the council will manage its cash flow and investments. The Capital Strategy sets out how the council will manage its capital expenditure, which is spending on long-term assets like buildings and infrastructure.

External Audit Report on the Council Accounts

The committee will receive a report from EY⁴ on their audit of the council's accounts for the year ending 31st March 2024.

External Audit Report on the Pension Fund Accounts

The Committee will receive a report from EY on the audit of the Tower Hamlets Pension Fund accounts for the year ending 31st March 2024.