Issue - meetings

[To note the current position regarding the counter fraud work undertaken].

Mark Wilkes, Audit Business Partner presented the update report on current counter fraud activities undertaken by Audit Service since the last meeting.

The Committee were advised that the Council had put in place a range of measures to ensure that pre and post payment checks were made on business support grant applications, discretionary grants and hospitality grants by Government to assist with the impact of the pandemic. The measures had been recommended by the Central Government Fraud Centre to mitigate the risk of fraud. All initial payments under these measures had been paid and further post-payment checks were underway, again in line with Government requirements. From nearly 4,000 applications, 30 had been identified as requiring further checks in order to determine their validity. Should any payments have been later found to have been fraudulent, or made in error, then their recovery would be sought. A monthly return to Central Government is now required on each grant scheme.

The Committee were advised that as a result of the second lockdown, additional grants/schemes had been put in place whereby a further range of both pre and post payment checks were required. The Council had also brought in an external provider to assist with the initial data capture and analysis of the latest applications.

Resolved:

That the contents of the latest Audit Services Counter Fraud Update be noted.