Issue - meetings

The Executive Member for Financial Sustainability presented the recommendation, which was referred to in the Executive report of 8 February 2022. Councillor Williamson said that the current arrangements for the appointment of the council’s external auditor through Public Sector Audit Appointments expired next year. Therefore the council had to consider the options available to put in place new arrangements in time to make the appointment of the external auditor for the five financial years beginning April 2023 by 31 December 2022. The alternative would be to undertake a procurement exercise but there was a risk that there would be no suitable firm bidding, or ending up with higher audit fees. The recommendation was therefore to opt-in to the PSAA scheme.

Councillor Williamson proposed and Councillor Kemp seconded a motion supporting the recommendation in the report. On being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED - That under Regulation 19 of the Local Audit (Appointing Person) Regulations 2015, East Hertfordshire District Council opts into the sector led body for audit appointments provided by Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited.

The Executive Member for Financial Sustainability presented a report on the External Audit National Procurement Opt-in. He said that the arrangements for the current audit period expired next year and the report considered options available for appointments of external auditors from April 2023 and a decision needed to be made by 31 December 2022. The report recommended opt in to Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited.

Councillor Haysey said auditing of local authorities was not as easy to procure as it used to be. She said there was a national backlog and East Herts’ audit had just started. She urged CIPFA to listen to concerns raised by senior bodies and officers.

Councillor Williamson proposed, and Councillor Goodeve seconded a motion supporting the recommendation in the report. On being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED - To recommend to Council that, under Regulation 19 of the Local Audit (Appointing Person) Regulations 2015, East Hertfordshire District Council opts into the sector led body for audit appointments provided by Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited.