Latest news

PSAA welcomes the NAO’s report on the timeliness of local auditor reporting in local government. It is very important that solutions are found to the issues that the report highlights. PSAA commented on 4 December 2020 on the ‘serious and pervasive problems’ facing local audit when setting out the number of 2019/20 opinions that were […]

We are pleased to present our Annual Quality Monitoring Report for 2020. This covers the work of local auditors appointed by PSAA for the 2018/19 financial year, the first under the appointing person arrangements. This report is later than intended because the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has delayed the completion of the professional regulators’ […]

We consulted in November 2020 on changes to fee variations arrangements, to introduce a new approach for national variations where changes in audit requirements relate to the conduct of all or most audits and where a standard cost can reasonably be estimated across groupings of bodies. The consultation also set out a proposed increase in […]

We are consulting on the proposed scale of fees for 2021/22 audits (January 2021). The consultation has now closed, the details of the outcome can be found on our consultation page.

Steve Freer, PSAA’s Chair, spoke to more than 350 delegates at the virtual LGA Finance Conference on Tuesday, 12 January.  The Conference was particularly well-timed coming so early in the New Year after MHCLG had published its initial response to the Redmond Review on 17 December. PSAA welcomes that MHCLG identified a raft of recommendations […]

PSAA is delighted to congratulate Board member Caroline Gardner who has been awarded a CBE for her services to the Scottish public sector in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List. Steve Freer, Chairman said:  “Everyone at PSAA is delighted by Caroline’s recognition in the New Year’s Honours.  She has been an outstanding Auditor General for Scotland and has made […]

Audit arrangements in local councils, police, fire and other local government bodies are continuing to exhibit signs of stress and difficulty. In the latest audit round, focusing on 2019/20 financial statements and value for money arrangements, fewer than 50% of bodies’ audits were completed by the revised target of 30 November. Figures compiled by PSAA, […]

We are consulting on proposals for a new approach to fee variations.  Information on the consultation and how to respond can be found at Fee variations consultation – November 2020.

PSAA takes very seriously the Financial Reporting Council (FRC)’s report on its inspection of major local audits (MLA) in 2018/19. PSAA agrees with the FRC’s statement that high quality audit is essential to maintain stakeholder confidence by providing an independent, impartial view of an MLA body’s financial statements and arrangements in place to secure value for […]

Following the publication of Sir Tony Redmond’s review of financial reporting and auditing in local government bodies, PSAA has written to all Section 151 Officers and Audit Committee Chairs on 7 October outlining its response which is as set out below.   Dear Section 151 Officer/Audit Committee Chair Redmond Report As I am sure you […]