Dear Councillor,
Committee Members are summoned to attend the MEETING of the Finance & Governance Committee to be held on Thursday 19 November 2020 at 7.30pm via Microsoft Teams Video Conferencing.
Members of the public have a right to and are invited to attend the virtual meeting using Microsoft Teams. If you wish to attend, please email the office@hurstpierpoint-pc.gov.uk before 4pm on Thursday 19 November 2020 to be sent an email or telephone invitation.
Sarah Groom, Clerk to the Council & Responsible Finance Officer Friday 13 November 2020
Committee Membership: Cllr Malcolm Llewellyn (Chair), Cllr Julia Shorrocks (Vice-Chair), Cllr Allan Brown, Cllr Stephen Hand, Cllr Rodney Jackson, Cllr Seth Jee, Cllr John Lowman, Cllr Duncan Ranger.
AGENDA
- Apologies for absence: To receive and accept apologies for absence.
- Declarations of interest: To note any declarations of interest.
3. Minutes of the previous meeting of Finance & Governance Committee: To receive and adopt the minutes of the 15 October 2020 Finance & Governance Committee meeting.
4. Adjournment for questions from the public: To consider adjourning the meeting in accordance with Standing Orders, to receive questions from members of the public.
5. Payments and receipts: The committee is asked to:
5.1Note payments of £29,062.39 (excl. VAT) for month 7 (October 2020).
5.2Note receipts of £20,658.01 (no VAT) for month 7 (October 2020).
6. Financial monitoring: To note the account records for month 7 (October 2020) in accordance with the Financial Regulations of the Parish Council, as follows:
- Bank Reconciliations. The bank statement is included for Cashbook 1 which is the Unity Trust current account, as this is the only account that has had any activity in the past month.
- Balance Sheet.
- Detailed Income and Expenditure by Budget Heading.
- Summary Income and Expenditure by Budget Heading.
7. Deposits and investment: As of 31 October 2020, the Parish Council held the following balances. A further £46,397.18 is held with the CCLA in shares.
| Financial Institution | Account Type | Maturity Date | Amount |
| Unity Trust | Current account | n/a | £409,367.73 |
| Nationwide | 95 Day Savings Account | 95 days’ notice | £54,107.44 |
| Nationwide | 2 Year Fixed Term Bond | 11/02/2021 | £33,614.78 |
| Cambridge & Counties BS | 3 Year Fixed Term Bond | 10/05/2021 | £51,716.82 |
| Cambridge & Counties BS | 3 Year Fixed Term Bond | 14/11/2021 | £35,770.00 |
8. Action Plan: To review the Action Plan containing the amendments agreed at Council on 22 October 2020 and recommend the new format to Council.
9.Annual Charges Review for 2021/22: To consider the annual charges review.
10.Budget Setting for 2021/22: To consider the requirements for the Finance & Governance Committee budget for 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
11. West Sussex Pension: Amendments to the Funding Strategy Statement: To review changes to the local valuation cycle and management of employer risk. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published new Regulations on employer flexibilities which came into force from 23 September 2020. This follows their consultation in May 2019 on changes to the local valuation cycle and management of employer risk. As this is a substantial change to the Funding Strategy Statement West Sussex Pensions are consulting the Parish Council as an employer in the Fund. The deadline for comments is 7 December 2020.
12. West Sussex Pension: Amendments to Exit Caps: To note the way in which the Government is making changes to the way in which pension exit payments are dealt with when an individual is subject to redundancy or business efficiency (where the employee is a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme and aged 55 or over). The Parish Council must note its responsibilities under the regulations in force from 4 November 2020 although this does apply to the current establishment.
13.Approval of Direct Debit Payment for Information Commissions Office Payment: To consider the payment options of direct debit for the annual ICO fee which secures a £5 discount on the £40 annual fee due.
14.To note any further information items, correspondence received or requests.
Protocol for filming and recording at public meetings: The Council has a protocol for public filming, recording and photography at its meetings, which is available on the Council’s website or on request at the Parish Office.