Independent experts appointed to Liverpool City Council's Audit Committee

LIVERPOOL City Council has appointed 2 independent advisers to strengthen the scrutiny of its Auditing and Governance Procedures. As part of the response to the recent Best Value Inspection, the Local Authority has secured the services of 2 people with top level experience in auditing and finance to sit on the Audit Committee as co-opted independent technical advisers. The Committee provides an independent and high level focus on the Council's audit, assurance and reporting arrangements. It also reviews of the Council's:- Governance, Risk Management and Control Frameworks, and oversees the financial reporting and annual Governance Processes and develops, maintains and monitors the Codes of Conduct for Councillors and co-opted members.

The 2 new members are as follows:-

► Stephen Gregory graduated, in Economics from the University of Liverpool and later attended Harvard Busines School. He was a partner at Ernst and Young from 1995 until 2016 and led the financial services risk practice across Europe for 8 years. Stephen Gregory said:- "I've spent my career advising large firms on corporate governance and business assurance and I feel that I've helped them improve their processes significantly. I've worked with audit committees and risk committees and I want to be able to do the same for the Council."

► Ramone Johnson is a Civil Engineer by trade and previously worked for Arup as a senior project manager on schemes including:- the remediation of Liverpool Festival Gardens and the Manchester Clean Air Zone. He is currently a senior consultant and project manager at a global built environment consultancy firm. Ramone Johnson said:- "I applied for this role to further help Liverpool City Council with navigating through a tricky situation. I understand that at its core that it is a very good organisation and, by joining the committee, I hope to get it back on course."

The independent advisers will receive expenses, but no allowance or remuneration. Councillor Kris Brown, Chair of the Audit Committee, said:- "These roles are a key part of making the Council's scrutiny procedures as strong as they possibly can be and I am delighted with the quality of the appointments we have made. We want the members of the Audit Committee to be getting the best possible advice, enriching their ability to scrutinise the organisation, and Stephen and Ramone will help us do that. They bring additional knowledge and expertise, reinforcing the committee's political neutrality and independence. Providing constructive challenge, as part of the committee, supports the Council's ambition for open and transparent Government in the wake of the recent Best Value Inspection."

₤6 million into Liverpool City Region Growth Fund to unblock pipeline of projects and boost growth and jobs

METRO Mayor Steve Rotheram pumps ₤6 million into Liverpool City Region Growth Fund to unblock pipeline of projects and boost growth and jobs. A growth fund that helped businesses grow during the Pandemic is to receive a ₤6million cash injection to deal with increased demand following lockdown. The ₤20m Flexible Growth Fund was launched in January 2020 to help kick start investment across the Liverpool City Region (LCR) in projects which create jobs and re-invigorate the economy. Despite businesses focusing on survival during the Covid crisis, the fund has been able to boost growth, including 5 projects in Sefton, Wirral, Knowsley and Liverpool which used ₤13.1m of investment to expand, creating a total of 95 new jobs and safeguarding another 89. Now the Combined Authority (CA) has approved an extra ₤4m to deal with a backlog of applications following the easing of restrictions with another ₤2m on hand if demand surges further, which will lever at least an additional ₤6m in private funding.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:- "When I launched my ₤75m Business Growth Package in 2019, it was to try and attract innovative and expanding new businesses to our City Region. I didn't want us to rest on our laurels - at the time we were the fastest growing Region in the country, but to keep pushing to do better. While the Pandemic meant that many businesses were preoccupied with survival, we've been able to use the fund to attract and grow new businesses alongside the tens of millions of pounds we were able to invest in supporting and protecting the local economy. Now, as businesses are beginning to think about the future, we're investing an additional ₤6m through the Flexible Growth Fund to help attract and grow new businesses, jobs and investment to our Region."

The Flexible Growth Fund provides fast and flexible low interest loans to LCR businesses which can raise at least 50% in match funding from the private sector for expansion projects. It aims to generate new jobs, enhance productivity, remove obstacles to expansion and enable a new generation of 'change makers' that will set the Liverpool City Region up for long term growth. The fund was established as part of the Metro Mayor's ₤75 million Business Growth Package, the largest set of business support funds seen in decades. Loan repayments are channelled back into the fund, providing new loan capital as part of an 'evergreen' model of fund recycling.

Cllr Janette Williamson, Deputy Metro Mayor and Leader of Wirral Council, said:- "Supporting local businesses and jobs has been a key priority and its value has been more evident than ever before through the Pandemic. Small and medium sized businesses are a vital part of the City Region economy and were impacted by the last 18 months. The extra resources we are now able to make available through the Flexible Growth Fund shows that as a City Region we are working hard to ensure we support our local businesses and help those aiming to grow."

For any enquiries relating to the Flexible Growth Fund, please contact:- Info@MSIF.Co.UK or visit the Growth Platform website GrowthPlatform.Org.