Issue - meetings

To consider the External Audit 2021/22 Progress Report.

Mark Dalton, External Auditor, Mazars attended the meeting via Microsoft Teams and updated the Committee on external audit progress on both 2021 and 2022 financial years.  Whilst the external audit for 2021 was largely completed, the national issue that related to accounting for infrastructure assets had meant no further progress could be made at this time.  This issue affected the whole of the Local Government sector, and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) had launched an urgent consultation (open until 14 June 2022) that called for temporary changes to the code of practice on local government accounting.  Reassurances were given to the Committee that when the results of the consultation were known this would enable the Mazars to complete the work in a timely manner.

Mazars had completed the Value for Money (VFM) work and the VFM commentary for 2021 and this would be issued as part of the Annual Report (alongside the Opinion on the financial statements) plus any outstanding work that arises from the CIPFA consultation.

The 2021-22 Audit Planning and interim work had progressed, Mazars planned to bring the Audit Strategy Memorandum and the Audit Plan for 2021-22 to the next meeting for this Committee in July.

RESOLVED:

That Mark Dalton be thanked for his attendance and update to the Committee and that the progress report be received and noted.