Local audit reform: a strategy for overhauling the local audit system in England
- From:
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- Published
- 18 December 2024
- Last updated
- 9 April 2025 — See all updates
Applies to England
Read the full outcome
Detail of outcome
Government response to the consultation to overhaul local audit in England.
Original consultation
Summary
The document includes a statement of intent and consultation on proposals to overhaul the current local audit system in England.
This consultation closesran atfrom
to
Consultation description
This strategy commits to a series of measures to fix the broken local audit system, including:
- a local audit vision with
eight8 core principles
- the establishment of a statutory and independent Local Audit Office (LAO), with
five5 strategic responsibilities - coordinating the system, contract management, ownership of the Code of Audit Practice, quality oversight and reporting
- mandating audit committees
The government is also consulting on a number of specific proposals as part of this strategy, including:
- potential additional functions of the new LAO
- simplifying financial reporting requirements to ensure they are proportionate
- improvements to enhance capacity and capability in the local audit sector, such as the introduction of public provision
- strengthening the relationship between local bodies and their auditor
- reforming the audit regime
Local government is a devolved matter. This strategy applies to England only.
Email questions or technical problems to: localaudit@communities.gov.uk
Documents
Local audit reform: a strategy for overhauling the local audit system in England
PDF, 8831.26 KBMB, 41 pages
Consultation description
This strategy commits to a series of measures to fix the broken local audit system, including:
- a local audit vision with
eight8 core principles - the establishment of a statutory and independent Local Audit Office (LAO), with
five5 strategic responsibilities - coordinating the system, contract management, ownership of the Code of Audit Practice, quality oversight and reporting - mandating audit committees
The government is also consulting on a number of specific proposals as part of this strategy, including:
- potential additional functions of the new LAO
- simplifying financial reporting requirements to ensure they are proportionate
- improvements to enhance capacity and capability in the local audit sector, such as the introduction of public provision
- strengthening the relationship between local bodies and their auditor
- reforming the audit regime
Local government is a devolved matter. This strategy applies to England only.
Email questions or technical problems to: localaudit@communities.gov.uk
Documents
Local audit reform: a strategy for overhauling the local audit system in England
PDF, 8831.26 KBMB, 41 pages
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Updates to this page
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Added Government response to the consultation to overhaul local audit in England.
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First published.
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Update history
2025-04-09 09:30
Added Government response to the consultation to overhaul local audit in England.
2024-12-18 11:45
First published.