The committee received a report of the Director of Finance setting out information about the requirement of principal local authorities to appoint their own external auditors for the audit of the 2018/19 accounts by 31 December 2017.  The report contained four options for consideration by the committee. 

The Head of Finance (shared services) informed the committee that the final decision would be agreed by Council.  Officers were recommending the use of the Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd (PSAA), who had been managing the audit contracts since the abolition of the Audit Commission.  By using the PSAA it would give the council some certainty and would ensure better value for money.  It was necessary to inform PSAA if the council wished to follow this option by 9 March.  The committee’s recommendation would be forwarded to Council for consideration at its next meeting in January, thus ensuring the council met the deadline.

The Chair advised that he had recently attended the county council’s Audit committee and a similar report had been presented with the same recommendation, due to it providing value for money.

RESOLVED –

that the Audit Committee recommends to Council that for the first round of appointments, the council opt into the PSAA Appointing Person arrangement, subject to confirmation of the details of the scheme.