Wrthi'n llwytho
Y penderfyniadau fel y mae cofnodion y cyngor yn eu cofnodi. Bydd crynodeb mewn iaith glir yn dilyn pan fydd wedi'i ysgrifennu.
RESOLVED That Dr Norma Barry be duly elected as Chair for the ensuing Municipal Year.
RESOLVED That the Audit Approach Letter be noted.
RESOLVED (a) That the revised Risk Management Strategy and associated Strategic Risk Register provided the necessary assurances for effective risk management within the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee. (b) That endorsement be granted to Officer’s for implementation of the strategy to be sought from the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee subject to agreement of the final draft. Councillor Jess Pritchard was unable to cast her vote due to poor signal strength so advice was sought from the Monitoring Officer who stated that he was content that that a majority of those present supported the proposal.
RESOLVED That the Quarter 4 Financial Monitoring report for year ended 2025-26 be noted.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED That Dr Norma Barry be duly elected as Chair for the ensuing Municipal Year.
The Monitoring Officer reminded the Sub-Committee that in previous years, the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee had identified that due to the Audit functions of the Committee being assigned to Pembrokeshire County Council, it would be appropriate for the Chair of the Sub-Committee to be held by the Lay Member from Pembrokeshire, which remained the arrangement. A proposer was sought for Dr Norma Barry to be appointed as Chair for the ensuing Municipal Year. Joanna Jenkins nominated Dr Norma Barry; Seconded by Councillor Mike Harvey. The vote was taken by way of a show of hands and carried. RESOLVED That Dr Norma Barry be duly elected as Chair for the ensuing Municipal Year.
The Chair sought nominations for the election of Vice-Chair for the ensuing Municipal Year. Joanna Jenkins nominated Councillor Steve Alderman; Seconded by Councillor Mike Harvey. The vote was taken by way of a show of hands and carried. RESOLVED That Councillor Steve Alderman be duly elected as Vice-Chair for the ensuing Municipal Year.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors James Henton and Jeff Jones.
There were no declarations of interest received.
Moved by Councillor Steve Alderman; Seconded by Joanna Jenkins The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Minutes of the meeting held on 25 February 2026 be approved a a correct record.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED That the Audit Approach Letter be noted.
The Sub-Committee considered a report by the Chief Finance Officer regarding the Audit Wales Audit Approach Letter. The Chair welcomed Jason Blewitt and Euros Lake from Audit Wales, who introduced the report. As part of the introduction, it was stated that the letter outlined planned work, timetable, team and fees. Members noted that, as expenditure was below £2.5m, an annual return would be audited by 30 September 2026, with no change to the audit team. A 5.3% fee increase was confirmed in line with the approved scheme and it was also noted that performance audit activity would increase in the coming year to reflect rising risks and the developing Corporate Joint Committee operating environment. Paula O’Connor queried if the forthcoming work would consider the structural changes between the Swansea Bay City Deal and the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee, including any associated changes in delegation. In response, Euros Lake confirmed that it would and stated that the increased focus reflected broader sector risks as Corporate Joint Committee’s transition from establishment to delivery, with particular challenges around governance, capacity and compliance. Specific reference was made to the need to better understand and provide assurance on the alignment between Corporate Joint Committee governance and the Swansea Bay City Deal, which would also be considered as part of the forthcoming work. A follow-up question was raised by Paula O’Connor asking whether the Audit Wales report presented to the Swansea Bay City Deal would be brought to the Sub-Committee, to which Euros Lake confirmed that Audit Wales would be happy to bring it to the Sub-Committee, if the Chair consented. Following advice from the Monitoring Officer, the Chair suggested that whilst the City Deal’s audit function did not fall within the Sub-Committee’s terms of reference, it would be beneficial for the report to be circulated to Sub-Committee Members for information (AP). Paula O’Connor sought confirmation that under the new arrangements, scrutiny functions would transfer to the Corporate Joint Committee while governance and audit would not. In response, the Monitoring Officer confirmed that was correct and outlined the reasoning as to why. It was noted that the model would be reviewed and may evolve, with the potential for greater alignment and future involvement of the Governance and Audit Sub-Committee. Following a suggestion made by Joanna Jenkins, Chris Owen, the Chief Operating Officer for the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee, provided an introduction about himself and his background. Moved by Councillor Steve Alderman; Seconded by Joanna Jankins The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Audit Approach Letter be noted.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED (a) That the revised Risk Management Strategy and associated Strategic Risk Register provided the necessary assurances for effective risk management within the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee. (b) That endorsement be granted to Officer’s for implementation of the strategy to be sought from the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee subject to agreement of the final draft. Councillor Jess Pritchard was unable to cast her vote due to poor signal strength so advice was sought from the Monitoring Officer who stated that he was content that that a majority of those present supported the proposal.
The Sub-Committee considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer regarding the Risk Management Strategy. The Chief Operating Officer introduced the updated Risk Management Strategy and draft Strategic Risk Register, developed in response to previous feedback. It was stated that the report aimed to strengthen assurance over how risks were identified, managed and escalated, and to embed risk management within the wider performance framework. It was noted that, as a developing organisation, the Corporate Joint Committee’s risk profile was still evolving, but the revised strategy provided a clear structure, including risk appetite, roles and escalation processes. It was highlighted that the draft risk register outlined key strategic risks and mitigations and would continue to be refined and updated. The Head of Internal Audit added that in his opinion the risk framework was proportionate to the organisation’s needs and could support the development of an audit programme. It was stated that while some risks were programme specific, the approach was appropriate at this stage and would continue to evolve and become more embedded over time. Joanna Jenkins raised concerns that parts of the risk register in Appendix A appeared incomplete or unclear, with missing or cut-off text in several sections, particularly within mitigation actions and stream descriptions, making some entries difficult to interpret. In response, the Chief Operating Officer agreed to rectify the formatting and recirculate an updated version (AP). Following a question raised by the Chair, the Chief Operating Officer advised that the Risk Management Strategy would be presented to the Corporate Joint Committee in July. Paula O’Connor raised questions regarding the comparatively low maximum and residual risk scores shown in the register, and queried whether these accurately reflect the level of risk. Clarification was also sought on how the risk framework would be embedded into decision-making processes, including the expected timeline for full implementation and evidence that risks will meaningfully inform future decisions. In response, the Chief Operating Officer explained that the risk register would be used to inform future decision-making across the organisation, recognising both shared and workstream-specific risks. It was stated that work was ongoing with leads to identify, mitigate and monitor the risks, linking them to the wider performance management framework. It was acknowledged that embedding the framework would take time, likely longer than a few months, and would involve developing a structured approach where operational risks informed strategic risks and support decision-making at Corporate Joint Committee level. Following a request made by Malcolm MacDonald, the Chief Operating Officer confirmed that enhancements can be made to the risk register’s presentation, including clearer use of colour to aid visibility. Members were advised that future iterations would also enable tracking of changes in risk scores over time, highlighting where risks had increased or decreased and providing greater transparency on their progression. The Head of Internal Audit highlighted that as the accounts remained below the threshold, an annual review would be undertaken, including an assessment of key risks facing the Authority which would be reported back to the Committee in June providing assurance that risks were being consistently identified and appropriately managed. In summing up, the Chair welcomed the strategy and noted the rationale for presenting the risk register alongside work plans and performance management, acknowledging some duplication as a result. It was recognised that it was an evolving document, and she stated that Members looked forward to reviewing the final version prior to submission to the Joint Committee for approval. Moved by Councillor Steve Alderman; Seconded by Councillor Deryk Cundy The votes, undertaken by way of a roll call, were carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Steve Alderman, Deryk Cundy, Mike Harvey and Dai Thomas and Lay Members Norma Barry, Joanna Jenkins, Malcolm MacDonald and Paula O’Connor [8] There were no votes against the motion or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the revised Risk Management Strategy and associated Strategic Risk Register provided the necessary assurances for effective risk management within the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee. (b) That endorsement be granted to Officer’s for implementation of the strategy to be sought from the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee subject to agreement of the final draft. Councillor Jess Pritchard was unable to cast her vote due to poor signal strength so advice was sought from the Monitoring Officer who stated that he was content that that a majority of those present supported the proposal.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED That the Quarter 4 Financial Monitoring report for year ended 2025-26 be noted.
The Sub-Committee considered a report by the Chief Finance Officer regarding the Quarter 4 Financial Monitoring for 2025-26. The Regional Finance Manager introduced the report and highlighted that the Joint Committee had approved a £710,000 budget for 2025-26 in January 2025, with a 10% reduction in constituent authority levies supported by reserves. It was stated that the Quarter 4 outturn indicated an underspend of approximately £460,000, which would be transferred to reserves. Variances were outlined and included underspends in Support Services due to a vacant post, unrequired Transport Subcommittee grant, and reduced expenditure across subcommittees, partially offset by an overspend in the Regional Management Office for additional staffing, events and consultancy support. It was noted that Welsh Government grant income was higher than anticipated, and as a result, reserves were forecast to increase from £1.176 million to approximately £1.482 million. Following clarification sought by Joanna Jenkins regarding interest levels, the Regional Finance Manager advised that it related to interest earned on the Corporate Joint Committee cash balances, including the balance brought forward from the previous year and levy contributions received from Local Authorities. It was stated that the funds were received in instalments across the year and held as cash balances, generating interest. It was confirmed that £50,000 was an initial estimate, and the latest projection, following discussions with the Treasury Team, was approximately £49,000 for the year. The Chief Finance Officer added that the balances were currently administered through Carmarthenshire County Council’s treasury management arrangements and stated that as part of a larger pooled investment portfolio, funds benefited from access to money markets and other investment vehicles, enabling more favourable returns than would likely be achieved through a standalone banking arrangement. Moved by Joanna Jenkins; Seconded by Councillor Steve Alderman The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Quarter 4 Financial Monitoring report for year ended 2025-26 be noted.
Rhaid i gynghorwyr ddweud pan fydd ganddyn nhw gysylltiad personol â rhywbeth sy'n cael ei drafod, fel swydd, eiddo neu aelod o'r teulu. Mae buddiant sy'n rhagfarnu yn ddigon cryf i'r cynghorydd adael yr ystafell fel arfer a pheidio â chymryd rhan.
Caiff datganiadau eu darllen o'r cofnodion unwaith y byddan nhw wedi'u cyhoeddi.
Yn rhestru cynghorwyr presennol y cyngor yn unig. Nid yw aelodau cyfetholedig, swyddogion a chyn-gynghorwyr yn cael eu dangos.