Audit
Watchdog tells Falkirk to confront 'difficult decisions'
Falkirk Council faces ‘difficult decisions’ to bridge a budget gap of tens of millions, according to Audit Scotland.
Ministers in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
The letter on councils’ productivity, sent by local government minister Simon Hoare this week, borders on farcical, says Heather Jameson.
Struggles continue for scandal-hit council contractor
A council contractor previously at the centre of a residential care abuse scandal has continued to struggle since it closed the sites.
Oflog should be handed audit oversight, MPs told
The Office for Local Government (Oflog) should be handed oversight of England’s broken audit regime – a role earmarked for the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) - accounting experts have told MPs.
Grant Thornton fined over pension audit
Grant Thornton has been fined by the Financial Reporting Council for ‘failures’ in its audit of an unnamed local authority’s pension fund.
Hopes for regen scheme revived after Home Office scales back asylum plan
A £300m council-led regeneration scheme threatened when Whitehall commandeered the site for asylum accommodation could now go ahead after the plan was scaled down.
Homelessness inquiry launched by NAO
The National Audit Office (NAO) has launched an inquiry into homelessness as the issue piles pressure on squeezed council budgets.
Councils lobby for reduced audit fees amid backstop plan
Fees for councils should be slashed if auditors are forced to give qualified opinions due to failing to meet the backstop deadline later this year, English councils have said.
Two-year Sandwell intervention to end
Local government minister Simon Hoare has today confirmed that Whitehall’s two-year intervention at Sandwell Council will end.
Watchdog warning over Moray's funding gap
Moray Council must act quickly to shore up its finances, Audit Scotland has warned.
Moving forward after failure
Ed Hammond considers the governance challenges facing members under section 114 and other models of oversight and the implications for member-officer relationships.
Lending rates could spike after audit reset, LGA warns
Proposals to reset the local audit system and clear the backlog of accounts could drive up the lending rates offered to the sector, councils have warned.
Audit Commission fears continue to haunt Oflog
A senior sector figure has expressed concerns about the Office for Local Government’s (Oflog) direction of travel.
Plymouth told to 'hold its nerve' on budget
Plymouth City Council’s budget for the forthcoming year hinges on a request to the Government for a capitalisation direction.
Oflog data explorer to cover all main sector services by mid-2025
The Office for Local Government’s data explorer will cover all the main services offered by the sector by the middle of next year, the watchdog has pledged.
Delay is the way
Diary waited with bated breath on deadline last week as Whitehall put the final touches to a consultation confirming its solution to the audit crisis.
Time for change: An early review for the Code of Audit Practice
Change is needed now to resolve the broader problems in the local audit market, and together with other organisations, the NAO has produced new proposals for a reset, says Mike Newbury.
Accountancy bodies move to offer dual membership
Two accountancy bodies are putting the ‘finishing touches’ to the registration process for an accelerated route to dual membership.
Consultation on audit reset proposals launched
Proposals to reset the local audit system and clear the backlog of accounts have been officially unveiled.
Statutory recommendations lifted at Sandwell
Auditors have lifted the three statutory recommendations in place at Sandwell MBC.