Issue - meetings

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, which provided Members with details of the scale of fees for the external audit work for 2018/19.

The Board was advised that the Local Audit Accountability Act 2014 provided a new framework for local public audit following the closure of the Audit Commission.  As a result, the Council opted-in to a procurement arrangement undertaken by Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited (PSAA), from which Grant Thornton were appointed as the Council’s external auditors for five years commencing 1 April 2018. It was noted that the PSAA would now oversee the audit contracts and their responsibilities included the setting of fees and the monitoring of the quality of the auditors’ work.

The letter attached to the report set out the details of the audit fee proposed by the PSAA, along with the scope and timing of external audit work and the team from Grant Thornton that would be working on the audit. It was confirmed at the meeting that the certification fee for the Housing Benefit Subsidy claim for 2018/19 would be £8,500.

RESOLVED: That the 2018/19 audit fee and the scope and timing of the planned external audit work be noted.