Government officials are monitoring the situation at City of York Council after auditors found it overpaid severance and sick pay to a former chief executive amid threats of tribunal claims.
The National Audit Office plans to have its timetable for completing departmental audits back on track for the 2021-22 accounts, following delays caused by Covid-19.
Local authority external audit fees for 2020-21 will be used as a baseline for next year, although one expert predicted that levels are likely to change by the end of the year.
Local government auditor Grant Thornton has defended how it inspected the accounts of Liverpool City Council, following a damning report into governance the council.
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is turning its spotlight on local health bodies as part of its fundamental review of local government audit.
Local audit delays exacerbated by Covid-19 have undermined central government departments’ oversight of their sectors, according to the National Audit Office.
Insourcing ICT services has saved the Welsh Government two thirds less than expected, and the full benefits are yet to be realised, according to a report from Audit Wales.
Councils still face a funding gap of more than £600m this financial year due to Covid-19, despite huge government support for the sector, the National Audit Office has found.
Issues with external audit are not confined to local government – the NHS system is also not working, says Emma Knowles, director of policy and research at the Healthcare Financial Management...
The government is considering whether a “system leader” could oversee local government audit in the future, after it rejected the Redmond review’s proposal of a statutory body.
The National Audit Office has launched an inquiry into the timeliness of local authority audit in England last year, as sector audits continue to miss deadlines.
Closer working between external and internal auditors can help achieve better value for money, according to CIPFA advisers Diana Melville and Ellen Millington.
A 'back to the future' approach for local government audit is not realistic, according to Steve Freer, chairman of audit oversight body Public Sector Audit Appointments.
The government must allocate resources as soon as possible to enable councils and auditors to implement the findings of the Redmond review, says Rob Whiteman.
The Scottish Police Authority was unable to balance its budget for the second year running and remains financially unsustainable, Audit Scotland has warned.
The new local government audit body proposed by the Redmond Review should produce an annual report on the whole local government sector, CIFPA has said.
NHS Tayside’s high running costs remain a risk, although the health board has improved its financial management, the Scottish spending watchdog has said.
More than half of local authority audit opinions for 2019-20 missed the extended 30 November deadline, according to oversight body Public Sector Audit Appointments.
The UK government has spent an additional £10bn on personal protective equipment this year, as a result of “inadequate stockpiling”, according to the National Audit Office.
A 25% increase in audit fee variation rates for 2020-2021 is being proposed by the Public Sector Audit Appointments, following recommendations from the Redmond Review.