18 December 2024As part of its devolution plan, the government is looking to transform the local audit system, ‘to give greater clarity on the purpose of audit and accounts, and ensure they take centre stage in local scrutiny’. In-line with Sir Tony Redmond’s recommendations, the government will legislate to radically simplify the system, bringing as many audit functions as possible into one body, and is now engaging with the sector on how to do this, subject to legislation.
SLCC will be making a response to this consultation by the deadline of 29 January 2025. Any members of SLCC who want to comment or provide information in support of our response should email these to Michael King, Head of Policy & External Communications, [email protected] by 17 January 2025.
Clerks and their councils are encouraged to make their own response to the consultation too.
You can access the consultation here.
The Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, Jim McMahon OBE MP, has written this letter to SLCC, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and the Association of Drainage Authorities, setting out the government’s strategy for overhauling local audit in England, including arrangements which affect local councils and others within the scope of Limited Assurance Review for Smaller Authorities. He has drawn our attention to the consultation, which is focussed, in the first instance, on addressing the backlog and reforming the system of audit for the 317 district, county and unitary authorities in England.
