New Committee to Tackle West Berkshire's Finances

West Berkshire Council is setting up an Audit and Risk Committee to keep a closer eye on its failing finances.

Members questioned whether seven councillors will be enough - the original proposal was for five, and some councils have as few as three.

Officers said the technical nature of audit and risk work needs extra training and support. They argued it is better to have a committee focused solely on audit and risk, rather than mixing in governance or standards.

The change would bring West Berkshire Council into line with other local authorities, giving more focus, a clearer remit and alignment with recognised governance models for management controls, internal audit and external audit.

Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter