To consider a report on the Government’s wide-ranging consultation on the way public sector audit is governed.  The consultation is due to run until 29 January 2025.

The Committee received a report on the Government’s consultation ‘Local Audit Reform - A strategy for overhauling the local audit system in England’.  The consultation sought to respond to the well-publicised and significant challenges with getting external audit opinions finalised and enable a series of ‘backstop’ dates by which audit opinions should be delivered.  The consultation also proposed setting up a new and proportional Local Audit Office to bring together some functions of the local audit system.  The Government stated it was committed to making audit committees mandatory for all local bodies, and for them to include at least one independent member. Additionally, the Government invited comment on whether the Chair of the Audit Committee should be an independent member.

Resolved:      That the Government’s consultation ‘Local Audit Reform - A strategy for overhauling the local audit system in England’ be noted and any comments on the consultation document be sent to the Director of Finance for consideration and his response to the consultation and any subsequent reply from the MHCLG be circulated to members of the Audit & Governance Committee.