Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report in relation to the interim value for money arrangement report 2022/23 External Audit Plan 2023/24.

The report was introduced by Mark Hodgson, Partner Ernst&Young (EY).

Members of the Committee commented on the report which included:

i.               The increase in audit fees was to ensure that local authorities received assurances from their accounting procedures. This was consistent across all local authorities.

ii.             The Council had a statutory obligation to produce and publish its own draft financial statements by a due date. For the year 2022/23 this was to be published by end of May, however the Council only published at the end of June. This was therefore put down as a weakness as it was the Council’s responsibility to do so. It was noted that the Council did publish the reasons why it was late and therefore there were no concerns with regards to this.

The Committee resolved (Unanimous) that the contents of the EY Interim Value for Money Arrangements Report 2022/23 are noted.