BREXIT will be used as a subject to test whether a new risk register, being used by Powys County Council, (PCC) is working properly.

The suggestion came from Cllr Gwynfor Thomas (Conservative – Llansantffraid) as the Audit Committee discussed the changes being made to the system.

The JCAD Strategic Risk Register outlines the key risks to the Council’s activities, as well as risk to delivery of strategic objectives and programmes.

Head of Transformation and Communication Emma Palmer explained that that each programme, project and service risks would all be in one place.

Ms Palmer explained that it was being rolled out across the council and all services should be using it by October.

A new scoring matrix will be used in line with the one used by Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB).

Audit Committee, chairman, Cllr John Morris (Liberal Democrat – Crickhowell) wondered if the committee would be comparing this risk register with another version at their next meeting in December?

Cllr Thomas said: “There is one on there (risk register) that we as an audit committee that we can monitor.

“I hate to mention it, but it’s Brexit.

“We have to challenge whether the mitigation there is robust enough.

“We can use it as a test of the system, it will be very interesting in the next quarter to see what is reported there in view of what happens.”

Cllr Morris added: “This is one where you would expect it to be updated daily because of the ongoing situation.”

Ms Palmer said that the senior leadership team were receiving almost daily updates from the WLGA (Welsh Local Government Association) because the “ante has increased”.

Ms Palmer said: “Next time around it will be interesting to see what level of challenge and if the rating changes as we move towards October 31.

“But I have been taking any opportunity to watch the news to find what may or may not happen.

“I thought we had a known unknown, but now we’re in unknown unknowns in terms of where this is all going to end up.”

On the register in July, Brexit has been marked as an “amber 6” down from “red 15” as PCC thought it “increasingly unlikely” that a no-deal Brexit would take place.

PCC has set up Strategic Brexit Group and they have already identified potentially 82 service level and 11 strategic, potential impacts of Brexit to PCC

The report on the risk register says: “PCC is prepared as far as practicable for any Brexit scenario, and we wait further guidance group from UK and Welsh Government.”