The Brent Council Audit and Standards Committee met on Monday 16 June 2025 to discuss the Annual Governance Statement for 2024-25. The committee approved the minutes from the previous meeting held on Tuesday 25 March 2025 and formally approved Brent Council's 2024-25 Annual Governance Statement, following its consideration by the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee.

Annual Governance Statement 2024-25

The committee formally approved Brent Council's 2024-25 Annual Governance Statement.

The Annual Governance Statement (AGS) is a document that local authorities are required to produce to explain their governance arrangements and how they have complied with them¹. It assures the public that the council is managing its business properly. The AGS is based on the CIPFA/SOLACE Framework for delivering good governance in local government.

The AGS is made up of several parts:

• An introduction to the council's governance framework
• A description of the key elements of the governance framework
• An assessment of the effectiveness of the governance framework
• A statement of assurance

The AGS also includes a Local Code of Corporate Governance, which sets out the principles and values that underpin the council's governance arrangements.

The Annual Governance Statement Cover Report stated that the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee had already considered the Annual Governance Statement.

Minutes of the previous meeting

The committee approved the minutes of the previous meeting held on Tuesday 25 March 2025 as a correct record. The minutes included a resolution to:

approve the following proposed changes and additions to the financial and procedural rules governing the Mayor's Charity Appeal arising from the review, as recommended by the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee and set out in section 10.4 of the report:

(a) That the Mayor, or immediate Members of their family, must not be a Trustee or Chair (or an equivalent position) at a charity the Mayor is fundraising for.

(b) If a donor decides to donate to the Mayor's charity directly, proof of donation must be shared with the Mayor's Office. This could be a screenshot of a donation made, a receipt from the charity, or some other equivalent proof of donation – subject to confirmation of final wording being delegated to the Corporate Director Finance & Resources in order to incorporate clarification (as recommended by Audit & Standards Advisory Committee) covering when a donor would like their donation to be counted towards the Mayors total fundraising for the year and formal proof of donation required.

Councillor Jumbo Chan, Chair of the Audit & Standards Committee, formally thanked the External Audit and Finance Team for their work in progressing completion of the audit and Statement of Accounts 2023-24.