Venue: Virtual Meeting - Zoom
Contact: Eirian Roberts 01286 679018
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APOLOGIES To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes: Apologies were received
from Cllr Ian Roberts (Flintshire County Council), Cllr Mark Pritchard (Wrexham
County Borough Council), Professor Iwan Davies (Bangor University) and Dafydd
Gibbard (Gwynedd Council) |
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DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST To receive any declarations of personal interest Minutes: A declaration of personal interest was received from Cllr Llinos Medi
Huws (Isle of Anglesey County Council) for item 8 because, as Leader, she
attended the Board of Menter Môn, but it was not a
prejudicial interest, so she was able to take part in the discussion. |
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URGENT BUSINESS To note any
items which are urgent business
in the opinion of the Chair for consideration Minutes: None to note. |
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MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING PDF 254 KB The Chair
shall propose that the minutes of the meeting held on 26 March 2021 be signed
as a true record. Minutes: The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of the NWEAB held
on 26 March 2021 as a true record. |
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2020-21 OUT-TURN REPORT AND ANNUAL RETURN PDF 268 KB Dafydd L Edwards and Sian
Pugh to provide the North Wales Economic Ambition Board with
the final out-turn position for
2020/21 and to obtain approval of the Official Annual Return for 2020/21 Additional documents: Decision: Note and accept the Joint Committee’s Revenue Income and Expenditure
Account for 2020/21. Approve the Joint Committee’s Official Annual Return for
2020/21 (subject to External
Audit), in line with the statutory
deadline of 31 May 2021. The Annual
Return has been duly completed
and certified by the Responsible Financial Officer, namely Gwynedd Council’s Head of Finance, as the Statutory
Finance Officer for the Joint Committee. The Chair was authorised to sign the Annual Return in order
to confirm that the Joint Committee has approved the financial statements therein. Approve the transfer of
the £241,023 underspend to the earmarked
reserve. Allocate the £4,853 interest
received on the £16m grant against future borrowing costs. Minutes: The report was submitted by Dafydd L. Edwards (Statutory Finance Officer
- Host Authority) and Sian Pugh (Group Accountant - Corporate and Projects). RESOLVED Note and accept the Joint Committee’s Revenue
Income and Expenditure Account for 2020/21. Approve the Joint Committee’s Official Annual
Return for 2020/21 (subject to External Audit), in line with the statutory deadline
of 31 May 2021. The Annual Return has been duly completed and certified by the
Responsible Financial Officer, namely Gwynedd Council’s Head of Finance, as the
Statutory Finance Officer for the Joint Committee. The Chair was authorised to
sign the Annual Return in order to confirm that the Joint Committee had
approved the financial statements therein. Approve the transfer of the £241,023 underspend
to the earmarked reserve. Allocate the £4,953 interest received on the
£16m grant against future borrowing costs. REASONS FOR THE DECISION The Joint
Committee must be aware of its financial position for 2020-21 and comply with
the statutory requirements with regard to completing the Official Annual Return
of Wales Audit, which is the usual procedure for reporting on Joint Committee
accounts and income and expenditure less than £2.5 million. DISCUSSION The report was submitted noting that this year would be the final year
that the NWEAB would approve the Officer Annual Return as the income and expenditure
would increase to over the threshold of £2.5m, therefore more detailed
statements would be needed. It was noted that the grant had been received prior
to the end of the financial year for 2021/22 and is therefore noted as creditor
in the report. It was noted that the report was very similar to the monitoring
report received earlier in the year. It was noted that an underspend of £641k could be seen in the Portfolio
Management Office which was a slight increase since the third quarter review, and
it was explained that this had been as a result of a reimbursement received
from Conwy Council on the Regional Engagement Team contribution and a reduction
in the expenditure on the Project Planning, Development and Support heading. It
was noted that there was an underspend of £29k on the Support Services heading
as a result of a reduction in the expenditure on the support services within
the Accountable Body. The income for 2020/21 included partners' contribution, ESF Grants and
other small grants. In addition, it was explained that the Engagement Team
reimbursement for 2019-20 had been received and interest on balances which
included almost £5k of interest on the capital grant of £16m received in
mid-March. It was explained that this capital grant was shown as creditor in
the Statement of Balances on the Annual Return, and that it would be available
to fund the capital programme in 2021/22 once the final business cases had been
approved. It was noted that this left a final financial position for 2020/21 of a £241k underspend. It was explained that the money had been transferred to the reserve fund to give a balance of £738k. It was added that ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
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NORTH WALES GROWTH DEAL - QUARTER 4 AND ANNUAL REPORTS PDF 396 KB Alwen
Williams to present the Quarter
4 (Jan-March) Growth Deal report, updated
Portfolio Risk Register and the Portfolio Management Office Annual Report for
2020-21 Additional documents:
Decision: Note the Quarter 4 Performance Report, updated Portfolio Risk Register and
the Portfolio Management
Office Annual Report for 2020-21. Agree on the format of the quarterly report and identify
improvements for future iterations. Approve the submission of
the Quarter 4 Performance Report and the Portfolio Management Office Annual Report for
2020-21 to Welsh Government and
UK Government as well as the local
authority scrutiny committees. Minutes: The report was submitted by Alwen Williams (Portfolio
Director) and Hedd Vaughan-Evans (Operations Manager). RESOLVED Note the
Quarter 4 Performance Report, updated Portfolio Risk Register and the Portfolio
Management Office Annual Report for 2020-21. Agree on
the format of the quarterly report and identify improvements for future
iterations. Approve
the submission of the Quarter 4 Performance Report and the Portfolio Management
Office Annual Report for 2020-21 to Welsh Government and UK Government as well
as the local authority scrutiny committees. REASONS FOR THE
DECISION In
December 2020, the NWEAB and the Welsh and UK Governments agreed the Final Deal
Agreement for the North Wales Growth Deal. Regular reporting on progress
against the North Wales Growth Deal is a requirement of the Final Deal
Agreement. DISCUSSION The report was submitted noting that it provided an overview
of the progress with the programmes and projects for Quarter 4 following the
signing of the Final Deal back in December 2020. It was explained that the
focus had been on moving to the implementation stage through a Baseline review
in January to review all projects to reconfirm timescales for developing and
delivering business cases. It was added that several project workshops had been
held in order to develop business cases in accordance with the Better Business
Cases guidelines. It was noted that, during this period, the Grant Award Letter
had been signed and the relevant documents had been submitted. As a result, it
was reported that the first instalment of £16m had been received in March
2021. It was explained that two projects, the Morlais Project
and the Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre Project, had completed their
Gateway Reviews and were now working to address the recommendations made prior
to submitting business cases. It was noted highlighted that two projects were
currently reporting as 'red' - the Bodelwyddan Key
Strategic Site as a result of outline planning permission expiring, and
Holyhead Port as a result if increased costs and the need to review the
project. Attention was drawn to the risk register, stressing
that the risk profile was stable on the whole and that there were no new
significant areas of concern. It was noted that significant risks remained with
a few individual projects and that the appetite and ability of the private
sector to invest remained unclear as a result of Covid-19. The main adaptations
to the risk register were noted, which included: ·
Capacity gross and
residual risk had decreased following the completion of the last recruitment
campaign for the Portfolio Management Office. ·
Public Sector
Investment gross and residual risk had decreased following the signing of the
Final Deal and Governance Agreement 2 The annual report
was submitted which looked back at progress during the 2020/21 financial year
which highlighted the Growth Deal and other activities supported by the
Portfolio Office. During the discussion, the following matters were raised:- · It was noted that the report displayed all the work which had been undertaken over the year and the team was thanked for creating ... view the full minutes text for item 6. |
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EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC The Chairman shall
propose that the press and public
be excluded from the meeting during the discussion on the following item due to the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 14 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government act 1972 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). There is an acknowledged
public interest in openness in
relation to the use of public resources and related financial
issues. It is also acknowledged that there are occasions,
in order to protect the financial and commercial interests that matters related to such information need to be discussed without being publicised.
The report deals specifically with financial and business
matter and related discussions. Publication of such commercially sensitive information could adversely affect the interests of the bodies and the Councils and undermine
the confidence of other Growth Deal participants
in sharing sensitive information for consideration. . This would be contrary
to the wider public interest of securing the best overall outcome. Minutes: To exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion
on the following item due to the likely disclosure of exempt information as
defined in paragraph 14, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 -
Information about the financial or business transactions of any specific person
(including the authority that retains that information). There is an acknowledged public interest in openness in relation to the
use of public resources and related financial issues. It is also acknowledged
that there are occasions, in order to protect the financial and commercial
interests that matters related to such information need to be discussed without
being publicised. The report deals
specifically with financial and business matter and related discussions.
Publication of such commercially sensitive information could adversely affect
the interests of the bodies and the Councils and undermine the confidence of
other Growth Deal participants in sharing sensitive information for
consideration. This would be contrary to the wider public interest of securing
the best overall outcome. |
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MORLAIS OUTLINE BUSINESS CASE Decision: Approve the Outline Business Case for
the Morlais project and, subject
to Welsh and UK Government approval of the assurance process undertaken, Menter Môn addressing the matters set out in Section
7 of the report, request that a Full Business
Case is prepared for the Board to consider following the completion of the procurement process and the consenting process. Note that the final funding arrangements
for the project which will form the basis
of the Grant Offer Letter will
be agreed at the Full Business Case stage
and authorise the Portfolio Director, in consultation with the Board Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer, to agree draft terms for
approval by the Board. Minutes: The report was submitted by Henry Aron (Energy Programme Manager) and
Hedd Vaughan-Evans (Operations Manager). RESOLVED Approve the Outline Business Case
for the Morlais project and, subject to Welsh and UK Government approval of the
assurance process undertaken, Menter Môn addressing
the matters set out in Section 7 of the report, request that a Full Business
Case is prepared for the Board to consider following the completion of the
procurement process and the consenting process. Note that the final funding arrangements for the project which will form
the basis of the Grant Offer Letter will be agreed at the Full Business Case
stage and authorise the Portfolio Director, in consultation with the Board
Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer, to agree draft terms for approval
by the Board. REASONS FOR THE DECISION As per
the Final Deal agreement, business cases are to be developed for each project
within the Growth Deal, in line with the ‘Better Business Case’ guidance
developed by Welsh Government and HM Treasury. The Board's approval is required
for each business case to enable the project to move to the next phase. DISCUSSION The report was discussed. |