Agenda item

The Service Director Finance will submit a report on the current position with regard to the appointment of an External Auditor.

The Executive Director Core Services submitted a report updating the Committee of the current position with regard to the appointment of the Authority’s External Auditors from 2018/19 onwards.

The report outlined the background to the appointment of External Auditors from 2018/19 onwards and of the three options that were considered by the Committee at its meeting on the 18^th January, 2017 when it had been agreed to choose option 3, namely, that the Authority opt in to a sector led procurement scheme where an Appointed Person appoint the external auditory on the  Authority’s behalf.

It was noted that on the 14^th August, 2017 the Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd had informed the Authority of their provisional decision by means of a consultation process allowing for any objections regarding matters of auditor independence and any conflicts of interest to be fed back. 

The provisional appointed auditor for the five year period commencing from 2018/19 was Grant Thornton (UK) LLP.   The Section 151 officer and other members of the Senior Management Team had no objection to this appointment although the overall impact of any potential objection across the national arena was unknown.

It was noted that the final decision as to the appointed auditor would be reported to the Committee upon the conclusion of the consultation process.

RESOLVED  that the current position with regard to the appointment of Auditor for the Authority for the five year period commencing in 2018/19 be noted.