Fire Board audit discussions deferred until after Council elections

Issued by The Highlands and Islands Fire Board

Members of the Highland and Islands Fire Board have decided to defer until after the Council Elections on 3 May discussions in public  with the Accounts Commission on their findings on Audit Scotland’s Best Value Audit of the Highland and Islands Fire and Rescue Service.

The Board met at Inverness on Wednesday (25 April)) when they were asked  to (a) acknowledge, consider and comment on the contents of the Accounts Commission findings and the improvement agenda of the Best Value Audit of the Service and (b) agree a draft action plan.

The Accounts Commission representatives explained that they were able to discuss the matter only in private because of long-established rules governing the business they can conduct in public during the pre-election period. 

Convener of the Fire Board, Councillor Richard Durham, Highland, moved a motion that the Board discuss the matter in private.  However, there was opposition to this from members of the Board who wished the matter to be discussed openly in public.  The Board voted 10-7, with one abstention, to defer consideration of the audit with the Accounts Commission until after the forthcoming election, when a new Board would take forward the discussions in public.