The Council’s External Auditor
As well as having an internal audit service, the Council has independently appointed external auditors. Their main functions are to audit the annual Statement of Accounts and to provide an opinion on value for money.
The key findings arising from their work are set out within their Annual Letter, which provides a commentary on the results of their work and highlights any issues that they wish to draw to the attention of the public, in accordance with the relevant requirements.
Notice of appointment of auditor from 2018/19
Under Section 8(2) of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014, the Council must publish a notice relating to the appointment of its auditor.
For audits of the accounts from 2018/19, Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited (PSAA) is responsible for appointing an auditor to principal local government and police bodies that have chosen to opt into its national auditor appointment arrangements. The Council opted into this arrangement.
PSAA wrote to the Council to consult on the proposed appointment of Grant Thornton as the External Auditor of East Staffordshire Borough Council from 2018/19. We can now confirm that, following the completion of the consultation, Grant Thornton LLP have been appointed to audit the accounts of East Staffordshire Borough Council for five years, from 2018/19 to 2022/23.
This appointment is made under regulation 13 of the Local Audit (Appointing Person) Regulations 2015, and was approved by the PSAA Board at its meeting on 14 December 2017.
If you want to question or challenge the Council’s Accounts, the external auditor may be able to help you. Details are published each year of the period during which any interested person may inspect and make copies of the accounts. There is then an appointed day when you or your representative can arrange to question and make objections to the auditor.
The external auditor can be contacted at:
Grant Thornton UK LLP
Colmore Plaza
20 Colmore Circus
BIRMINGHAM
West Midlands
B4 6AT
Tel. 0121 212 4000
Fax 0121 2124014
http://www.grantthornton.co.uk/
Please note that no objection may be made unless the auditor has received written notice of the proposed objection and its grounds. A copy of that notice must also be sent to the Council addressed to: Chief Finance Officer, East Staffordshire Borough Council, The Town Hall, King Edward Place Burton upon Trent, DE14 2EB.
For more information contact us on:
Tel: 01283 508399