High risk Audit recommendations

Report: 11
Date: 15 December 2006
By: Stephen Rimmer on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report confirms the status of outstanding high-risk accepted recommendations made by MPA Internal Audit as at the end of November 2006, and gives details of ongoing work to enhance the process by which the MPS respond to audit recommendations.

A. Recommendation

That members note the status of all outstanding high-risk recommendations made in relation to MPS control systems by MPA Internal Audit.

B. Supporting information

1. This report summarises the present status of high-risk recommendations on the MPA Internal Audit list of outstanding recommendations. It also details the process by which the MPS responds to audit recommendations.

Progress report on current high-risk audit recommendations

2. The status of high-risk accepted MPA Internal Audit recommendations as at end November 2006 is set out at exempt Appendix 1. Table 1 below summarises the latest position by the year in which each recommendation was made. The data provided covers only those high-risk accepted recommendations included in the previous progress report submitted to Corporate Governance Committee in September 2006, together with any recommendations subsequently reported to the MPS Inspection Liaison and Analysis Unit (ILAU) by MPA Internal Audit.

Table 1: High-Risk Accepted Audit Recommendation Progress Summary, as at end of November 2006

The MPS audit recommendation response process

3. Updates from all business groups are now requested by the ILAU on a monthly basis. This is to ensure that there is co-ordination with all inspection activity in the MPS and that regular updates can be provided to Performance Board. As a result, there has been a considerable reduction in the number of outstanding recommendations over the last six months. In March 2006, there were 49 outstanding recommendations; of those original recommendations only 17 now remain outstanding.

4. The figures in the table above, however have now been amended to include three additional audits, which have recently been notified to the ILAU, one from April 2002, one from March 2003 and the other from September 2006. Notwithstanding the inclusion of these additional audits, 12 recommendations were completed during this last quarter alone; four of which were newly notified.

5. All outstanding Internal Audit high-risk recommendations are also highlighted by the ILAU to business group members at the monthly Internal Inspection Co-ordination Meetings for necessary action. A representative from Internal Audit also attends this meeting and is therefore able to answer any specific queries. In addition, the Deputy Director of Internal Audit is updated in relation to the development of audit recommendation tracking and reporting at a quarterly External Audit and Inspection Partners Meeting, chaired by the head of ILAU. It has also recently been agreed that representatives from Internal Audit and the ILAU will meet on a regular basis to discuss progress on these recommendations, prior to each Corporate Governance Committee meeting.

6. A further progress report by the ILAU on the status of high-risk audit recommendations will be provided to the next Corporate Governance Committee in March 2007.

C. Race and equality impact

No reported adverse impacts on race and equality.

D. Financial implications

It is understood that the actions have been, or are being, undertaken from existing budgets.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Danielle Fitzgerald, MPS Inspection Liaison and Analysis Unit, MPS.

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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