Agenda item

5.2

South Yorkshire Joint Authorities

5.2.1

Councillor Colin Ross asked questions relating to the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority. (a) He referred to the meeting of the Authority’s Audit Committee at which a recommendation had been made concerning the term of office for chairs of the Authority’s sub committees or boards. He asked why such a condition could not be applied to the Fire Authority as a whole. (b) Councillor Ross referred to the report concerning the review of overtime payments and actions of the Chair of the Fire Authority in relation to the overtime payments. He asked whether Councillor Richards would support a resolution calling for the resignation of the Chair of the Fire Authority. 

Councillor Sioned Mair Richards, responded in her capacity as Chair of the Audit Committee of the South Yorkshire Fire Authority. She said that it was convention that the Chair of the Fire Authority was held by one of the four constituent South Yorkshire Authorities. The current Chair was a Barnsley Councillor. How this might change was a matter which would be discussed with the South Yorkshire Local Authorities.

She stated that Counsel’s opinion was that the actions of the Chair were lawful. The amounts which had been paid in overtime were voluntarily being repaid by three of the four recipients, as had been requested by the Fire Authority’s Audit Committee. As the payment of the overtime had been lawful, its repayment was a voluntary act.   

5.2.2

Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed asked whether it was felt that the internal review of the matter of overtime payments by the Fire Authority was sufficient given that the Chair of the Fire Authority was a Barnsley Borough Councillor.

Councillor Sioned Mair Richards responded that the Internal Audit function was absolutely sound and was bound by the CIPFA and Internal Audit codes which were applicable to Internal Audit in Barnsley and elsewhere.

Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed asked whether, Councillor Richards, as Chair of the Audit Committee, had opportunity to ask questions of the Chair of the Authority and if other Councillors also had that opportunity.

Councillor Sioned Mair Richards responded that everyone had the opportunity to ask questions at the meeting of the Fire Authority. It was for other members to explain if they had not asked questions at the meeting.

5.2.3

Councillor Roger Davison asked when the matters relating to overtime payments to senior officers of the Fire Authority first came to the attention of the Fire Authority?

Councillor Sioned Mair Richards stated that the matter first came to the attention of other Members of the Fire Authority in August 2015. As Chair of the Authority’s Audit Committee, she commissioned a report to look at the issue and this was a comprehensive and detailed report produced by Internal Audit in Barnsley. 19 recommendations had been made and the Audit Committee would work on each of them. The first of the recommendations concerned a review of decision making processes. It was not felt that the processes had not been sufficiently robust or transparent and the objective now was to have greater transparency and openness. The aim was to ensure that the previous process used regarding the overtime payments could not happen again and the recommendations would be enacted. Recommendations would be monitored as a standing item on Audit Committee agendas and working parties would be active in between Committee meetings.

There were no questions relating to the discharge of the functions of the South Yorkshire Joint Authority for Pensions under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.6(i).