CABINET DEBATES DEBT REPORTING

In an Extraordinary Cabinet meeting held tonight (Tuesday 6 August) at Thanet District Council, Cabinet members debated two motions; one in relation to the reporting of multiple debts owed by a single organisation and the other relating to the inspection of documents, background papers and e-mails relating to the Transeuropa debt.  

Cabinet members confirmed that it had been previously agreed at the last Cabinet meeting (1 August) to inform Full Council of any outstanding debt exceeding £150,000 as part of the Budget Monitoring Report 2013/14. 

It was also confirmed by Cabinet members that the Account and Audit regulations give all members (and the public) the right to inspect and copy prime documents that are used in the formulation of the statement of accounts by appointment during the specified inspection period.  

In addition to this, as agreed at the Overview and Scrutiny meeting on 29 July, the Transeuropa debt will be the subject of an Overview and Scrutiny Working Party, where in accordance with the council’s constitution, requested documentation will be made available to the members of the working party for review. 

Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr. Clive Hart said, “We are committed to transparency with regards to debts owed to the council and will ensure that appropriate information is available to those who wish to view it. It is not however, appropriate to release information that could affect commercial confidentiality and this is why the information regarding the Transeuropa debt has only just become available. Moving forward we have agreed to report all outstanding debts exceeding £150,000 to Full Council.”