Agenda item

To consider a report by the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources on the latest Corporate Risk Register.

With the aid of a report prepared by the Director of Finance & Corporate Resources (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Committee was reminded that it had requested the latest version of the Corporate Risk Register should be presented at each Committee meeting. A summation of the discussions is outlined as follows.

By way of background, the Director of Finance & Corporate Resources reported that effective risk management is a critical part of the organisation’s governance. The Risk Register identifies those areas where HDC should take action to mitigate its exposure and informs the annual plan for Internal Audit. More information on this can be found in the Council’s Risk Management Strategy.

As part of a full and wide-ranging discussion on the report the Committee considered the risks to HDC and if these are being. managed in line with the Risk Management Strategy. The Committee agreed that effective risk management is a critical part of governance within HDC and that the Risk Register identifies those areas where HDC should take action to mitigate its exposure and informs the annual plan for Internal Audit.

Arising from a question raised by Councillors Gray; Jennings and Hodgson-Jones the Committee (i) asked to receive a breakdown of where and the reasons for risks having moved from one risk category to another; (ii) noted that Corporate risks are those of significant, cross-cutting strategic importance that require the attention of the Council’s most senior managers and elected members. Such risks can be roughly split into two types: those that could principally affect the HDC and the residents of Huntingdonshire and others that relate more to the way HDC runs its organisation internally. Each corporate risk has a rating based on a combined assessment of how likely the risk is to occur, its probability and its potential impact after considering the controls already put in place. Such risks are reviewed and updated regularly through horizon scanning, benchmarking and in response to findings from inspections and audits, government policy changes and engagement with staff and the public; and; (iii) noted that HDC has adopted a wide range of controls to address the risks of cyber-attacks that aim to ensure the resilience of IT systems and prevent any adverse impact from daily attacks e.g. ‘filtering’, ‘blocking’ and ‘scanning’ to prevent breaches of the HDC IT network, council devices and systems.

As a result of observations made by Councillor Blackwell the Committee commented that it would be useful for there to be a glossary of the abbreviations used in reports to be made available to address any contextual ambiguity of such acronyms and to provide the Committee with some lucidity to aid in its discussions.

Following further discussion on the risks faced by HDC it was recognised that to ensure full understanding of the risk landscape and wider contextual factors it was important to be mindful of any potential changes in direct funding from national government together with taxes on commercial properties and residential properties could prove to be significant risks and happen swiftly at any time. Whilst the Spending Review and the quest for sustainability will remain critical concerns for HDC.

The Committee having considered and commented on the report RESOLVED to formally note that:

1.  progress and performance made on the risks to the organisation is being managed in line with the Risk Management Strategy.