Decision details

The Cabinet Member with the Resources Portfolio introduced the report of the Executive Director – Resources and Governance (previously circulated) presenting the Completion Report for Those Charged with Governance (also previously circulated) by the Council’s external auditors, Ernst and Young LLP (EY), on the audit for the year ended 31 March 2023.

In presenting the Completion Report, a representative from Ernst and Young LLP (EY), stated that there had been a nationwide delay in signing off accounts; legislation had been made to deal with the backlog; a full Value for Money (VFM) assessment had been undertaken on the Council’s accounts; as part of the process no significant weaknesses had been identified; and that as a result, the Council had been issued with a clean VFM conclusion for the 2022/23 financial year.

The submitted report stated that in accordance with the Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2023, all local authorities were required to produce the draft annual Statement of Accounts by 31 May 2023 and an audited set by 30 September 2023; due to national issues the auditors were not in a position to deliver the audit by the statutory deadline; and to provide a solution the Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2024 provided statutory ‘backstop’ dates to help clear the backlog the first of which was 13 December 2024 and applied to all outstanding audits; and that as EY had not been able to complete a full audit, the Council had been issued with a Disclaimer of Opinion for the 2022/23 accounts.

RESOLVED - That the Auditor’s Completion Report for Those Charged with Governance, as appended to the submitted report, for the Council’s 2022/23 financial statements, be noted.

REASON – To enable Cabinet to receive the results of external audit work carried out.?????