The Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive advised Council that the Governance Committee meeting that was due to be held on 27 September 2021 was not quorate and therefore unable to consider and make recommendations to Council on the adoption of the Statement of Accounts, Annual Governance Statement and Letter of Representation. As the Governance Committee had not received the External Auditors report, Council needed to decide whether to proceed with the consideration of these items.  It was recommended that consideration of items 14 (a), 14(b) and 14(c) be deferred and that a special meeting of the Governance Committee be arranged in the third week of October 2021 to receive the External Auditors report followed by an Extraordinary meeting of Council to receive the recommendations of the Governance Committee in relation to the Statement of Accounts, Annual Governance Statement and Letter of Representation.   He advised that the Statement of Accounts were normally published at the end of September, however the External Auditors were still awaiting the Devon Pension fund report and therefore the External Auditors would not be ready to sign off the Statement of Accounts until October 2021.

It was moved by Councillor Roome and seconded by Councillor Bushell “that the recommendations of the Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive be adopted.”

RESOLVED that consideration of the Statement of Accounts, Annual Governance Statement and Letter of Representation be deferred and that a special meeting of the Governance Committee be arranged in the third week of October 2021 to receive the External Auditors report followed by an Extraordinary meeting of Council to receive the recommendations of the Governance Committee in relation to the Statement of Accounts, Annual Governance Statement and Letter of Representation.