THE Council has amended its constitution to set up a Corporate Governance Committee in order to provide independent scrutiny of the authority s financial and non-financial performance and enhance public trust and confidence in the way the council is run.

THE Council has amended its constitution to set up a Corporate Governance Committee in order to provide independent scrutiny of the authority's financial and non-financial performance and enhance public trust and confidence in the way the council is run.

The new committee will take the lead on matters involving risk management as well as the review of internal and external audit plans and reports. This will reduce the remit of the two Overview and Scrutiny Panels, which will now merge into one in May. These changes will result in a saving to council tax payers of £25,000 a year.

This committee has been created to provide an independent and transparent risk management framework to further improve efficiency and to oversee the council's financial reporting process.

The Council recognises that an effective corporate governance function can best be achieved by a dedicated committee that is independent of the executive and scrutiny functions within the council. This follows guidance issued by the Audit Commission.

The new Corporate Governance Committee will focus corporate objectives in order to deliver improvements identified by audits.

The single Overview and Scrutiny Panel will be made up of 12 councillors and up to three non-voting co-optees. It will scrutinise the performance of council services and play a key role in the development of policies.