Commentary on Sections Part 6: Performance and Governance Of Principal Councils Chapter 1: Performance, Performance Assessments and Intervention Section 91 – Duty of principal council to report on its performance
451.This section requires a principal council to make a report (a “self-assessment report”) in respect of each financial year, setting out the council’s conclusions about the extent to which it met its performance requirements during that year. The views which the council has come to about its performance as a result of complying with the duty in section 89 will be able to inform the conclusions set out in the report, and those conclusions must take into account the views of local people about the council’s performance. The views of local people may be ones which were obtained by the council in complying with the consultation duty in section 90 or ones which it has obtained through other mechanisms; for example, as a result of letters sent to the council commenting on whether the council has exercised particular functions effectively.
452.The council must make a self-assessment report in respect of a financial year as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of that financial year. The report must set out any things the council intends to do, or has already done, in order to improve its performance in the next financial year. Then, when the council makes the report in respect of that next financial year, it must set out its conclusions on how much those things have improved its performance.
453.The section sets out other requirements applying to the report, including who should receive a copy of the report, and when it must be published.
454.The principal council’s governance and audit committee must review a draft of the self-assessment report and may recommend changes. Governance and audit committees were established as audit committees under section 81 of the 2011 Measure. Section 115 of this Act changes their name and makes some changes to their functions (see also Chapter 2 of this Part for provisions about their membership and proceedings).
455.Where the governance and audit committee recommends changes to the conclusions in the draft report, or to actions which the council intends to take or has taken in order to improve its performance, but the principal council decides against making those changes, the council must give its reasons in the final version of the self-assessment report.