Agenda item - External Audit Plan 2018/19

RESOLVED: That the Committee:

1. Agreed to consider and notify the external auditor if there were any other matters which it considered may impact on the planned audit.

2.  Noted the External Audit Plan 2018/19.

65.1    Mr Darren Wells, Grant Thornton introduced this report, stating that it set out key aspects for their plan.  He confirmed that the audit planning was a culmination of risk assessment work that they were undertaking. 

65.2    Dr Horne asked whether Grant Thornton had been able to get a picture of risks and the wider Council environment from the internal audit team’s work. Mr Wells confirmed that they currently looked at key audit reports from internal audit, and that this was standard for external auditors.

65.3    Councillor Sykes queried whether the materiality level stated on page 147 of the report was based on net or gross General Fund expenditure.   Mr Wells replied that it was based on the gross expenditure.

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65.4    Councillor Norman queried the significant pension fund risk highlighted in the second paragraph on page 151.  Mr Wells replied that this was a standard risk for Councils, and that detailed work by a pension’s expert would inform Grant Thornton whether this was a serious concern for Brighton & Hove.

65.6    RESOLVED: That the Committee:

1. Agreed to consider and notify the external auditor if there were any other matters which it considered may impact on the planned audit.

2.  Noted the External Audit Plan 2018/19.