MHCLG issued a written ministerial statement on 2 December outlining its intention to speed up the process of rebuilding assurance at local bodies as part of its wider local audit reform strategy, and has written to all audit firms and local bodies underlying the need for everyone to work together to accelerate progress.
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, contains key elements of MHCLG’s local audit reform programme, including measures to create the Local Audit Office. MHCLG has also published its Local Audit Transition Plan, setting out details on the timeline for implementing the new local audit system and how the transition will be managed.