Audit of accounts year ended 31 March 2022
The Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2021 The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015
Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014
Regulation 10(2) of The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 states where an audit of accounts has not been concluded before the date specified an authority must:
- publish (which must include publication on the authority’s website) as soon as reasonably practicable on or after that date a notice stating that it has not been able to publish the statement of accounts and its reasons for this; and
- comply with regulation 10(1) as if “but not later than 30 September of the financial year immediately following the end of the financial year to which the statement relates” there were substituted “as soon as reasonably practicable after the receipt of any report from the auditor which contains the auditor’s final findings from the auditor which is issued before the conclusion of the audit”.
At this time the Council is unable to issue an audited statement of accounts for 2021/22 together with any certificate or opinion in accordance with section 20(2) of the Act for the following reasons:
- the 2019/20 Statement of Accounts audit is yet to be concluded;
- the 2020/21 Statement of Accounts audit is yet to be concluded;
- the impact of Covid-19 on both the complexity of the audit and the difficulties regarding the restraints imposed due to remote working; and
- the increased assurance work the auditors have to complete for the regulators with respect to property asset valuations, pensions and financial instruments.
We will publish the 2021/22 Audited Statement of Accounts as soon as our External Auditor (Grant Thornton UK LLP) have concluded their audit work and provided an Audit Opinion.
The statement of accounts will be published as soon as reasonably practicable after the auditors make available the report of their final findings.
A copy of the unaudited Statement of Accounts are available on the Council’s website at: https://www.plymouth.gov.uk/aboutcouncil/councilfinancesandaccounts/statementaccounts
Brendan Arnold
Service Director for Finance and Section 151 Officer