Accountants have warned that progress on local audit reforms will stall without further improvements to the audit market and capacity in council finance teams.
The government is set to make it a statutory requirement for councils in England to have independent members on audit committees as part of local audit reforms.
A senior external auditor is set to become the first director of local audit at the Financial Reporting Council, as part of sector-wide reforms to improve standards.
Local authorities in England are set to receive £45m over the next three years, alongside extended accounts deadlines, to help improve the timeliness of local audit.
More than 90% of local authority audit opinions for 2020-21 missed the extended September deadline, according to oversight body Public Sector Audit Appointments.
Local authority procurement body Public Sector Audit Appointments will reassess its proposal to increase the number of audit lots following a mixed response from the sector.
Opening the public sector audit market to new entrants will require a collective, system-wide effort says Julie Schofield, senior manager of business and procurement at local authority audit body...
A new Fabian pamphlet calls on the Labour Party to position itself as the party of rigorous stewardship of public money – authors David Walker and John Tizard explain why.
Whitehall's oversight of local government audit has become “increasingly complacent” and the proposed solution involves treating public audit as “an afterthought”, MPs have said.
Proposals released today putting a greater emphasis on quality in the awarding of local government audit contracts would see fees rise if adopted, according to an expert.
A senior MP has questioned whether the new 'system leader' for local audit proposed by the government will possess the expertise to deal with the complexities of the sector.
Government proposals on local audit have gained a qualified welcome from the sector – but questions still remain, say experts – PF rounds up the reaction.
The government has proposed making the replacement to the Financial Reporting Council the new system leader for local audit, following the Redmond Review.
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.
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.
