Statement of accounts

Our Financial Procedure Rules outline how we manage finances. These form part of our Constitution.

There are 4 stages to providing the annual statement of accounts:

1. we produce a statement of accounts
2. we display a public notice here to advise you when you can inspect and make copies of the statement of accounts
3. we display another public notice to advise you when the accounts have been audited by an external auditor
4. the external audit and inspection report is presented to our Regulatory and Audit Committee

The audit of the draft statement of accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021 for Buckinghamshire Council has not yet been completed by the external auditors, Grant Thornton UK LLP. The Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2021 require that the audited accounts and opinion are published by 30 September 2021.

The delay has arisen due to a combination of factors, comprising the following:

• the Council experienced resourcing challenges during the initial preparation of the draft statement of accounts;
• the impact of Covid-19 on both the complexity of the audit and pace at which it can be completed;
• the inherent complexity of the Council’s 2020-2021 statement of accounts which covers the first year of existence for the new Council;
• the increased assurance work that auditors are required to carry out nationally with respect to pensions and asset valuations.

The audit and issue of the audit opinion is expected to conclude during December 2023 after which the statement of accounts and audit opinion will be published as soon as is reasonably practicable.

Therefore, this notice of delayed audit is being published in accordance with Regulation 10, paragraph (2a) of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/234/regulation/10.

The audit of the 2020-2021 accounts is still in progress due to a variety of complex factors. This has impacted on the preparation of 2021-2022 accounts and we will therefore not be in a position to start the period for the exercise of public rights.

The Accounts and Audit (England) Regulations 2015 - Regulation 10, as amended by The Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2021 require the Council to publish the unaudited Statement of Accounts for the financial year ending 31 March 2022 by 31 July 2022.

The Council is expected to complete the draft set of accounts by end of January 2024, following which the period for the exercise of public inspection will commence.

A further notice will be published in due course setting out the public inspection period as soon as the draft 2021-2022 Statement of Accounts have been finalised.

The audit of the draft statement of accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022 has not yet been started by the external auditors (Grant Thornton UK LLP). This delay is due to the outstanding audit of 2020-2021 accounts.

The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/234) (regulation 10 paragraph (2a)) as amended by the Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/234/regulation/10.), includes provision for where the external audit of the draft statement of accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022 has not been completed by 30 November 2022.

The audit and issue of the audit opinion is expected to conclude during March 2024 after which the statement of accounts and audit opinion will be published as soon as is reasonably practicable.

Therefore, this notice of delayed audit is being published in accordance with Regulation 10, paragraph (2a) of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/234/regulation/10.

The audit of the 2020 to 2021 accounts is still in progress due to a variety of complex factors. This has impacted on the preparation of 2021-2022 and 2022-23 accounts and we will therefore not be in a position to start the period for the exercise of public rights.

The Accounts and Audit (England) Regulations 2015 - Regulation 10, as amended by The Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2021 require the Council to publish the unaudited Statement of Accounts for the financial year ending 31 March 2023 by 31 May 2023.

The Council is expected to complete the draft set of accounts by end of May 2024, following which the period for the exercise of public inspection will commence.

A further notice will be published in due course setting out the public inspection period as soon as the draft 2022-2023 Statement of Accounts have been finalised.

The audit of the draft statement of accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 has not yet been started by the external auditors (Grant Thornton UK LLP). This delay is due to the outstanding audit of 2020-2021 accounts.

The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/234) (regulation 10 paragraph (2a)) as amended by the Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2022, includes provision for where the external audit of the draft statement of accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 has not been completed by 30 September 2023.

The audit and issue of the audit opinion is expected to conclude during September 2024 after which the statement of accounts and audit opinion will be published as soon as is reasonably practicable.

Therefore, this notice of delayed audit is being published in accordance with Regulation 10, paragraph (2a) of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.

On 1 April 2020, Buckinghamshire Council was formed by the 4 district councils and former county council.

For a copy of the statement of accounts of former authorities email [email protected].

A shadow authority was established to help manage the transition between the former district and county councils and Buckinghamshire Council.

For a copy of the external auditor report and certificate 2019 to 2020:

Email: [email protected]

Nationally, the combined total outstanding local audits, as at July 2023 dating back to 2015-16 was 520: for financial year 2020/21 was 145 (31%) and for 2021/22 was 347 (74%).

Given that this is a national issue Government is developing proposals as to how this national backlog of Audits is to be cleared. The council’s Audit and Governance Committee have been updated of delays on a regular basis for all the financial years.

Find further details of meeting agendas and minutes.

Email: [email protected]