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The Accounts and Audit (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2001

S.I. 2001/3244 · Made 25 September 2001

Original text. legislation.gov.uk does not revise statutory instruments, so later amendments are not shown here. Changes made to it are listed under each provision when known.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND

Made 25th September 2001

Laid before Parliament 2nd October 2001

Coming into force 23rd October 2001

The Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 27 of the Audit Commission Act 1998f1 including that section as applied by section 134(6) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999f2 and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, and after consulting the Audit Commission, such associations of local authorities as appear to him to be concerned and such bodies of accountants as appear to him to be appropriate, hereby makes the following regulations—

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

1998 c. 18. The Secretary of State’s functions under section 27 of the Act, so far as exercisable in relation to Wales, are transferred to the National Assembly for Wales, see article 2 of, and Schedule 1 to the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/672).

f2

1999 c. 29

Contents

  1. 1Citation, commencement and extent
  2. 2Interpretation
  3. 3Statement of Accounts
  4. 4Summary statement of accounts—Greater London Authority
  5. 5Other Accounting Statements
  6. 6Publication of Annual Audit Letter
  7. Signature
  8. Explanatory note

1Citation, commencement and extent

(1)

These Regulations may be cited as the Accounts and Audit (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2001 and shall come into force on 23rd October 2001.

(2)

These Regulations extend to England only.

2Interpretation

In regulation 2(1) of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 1996 (“the 1996 Regulations”)f1, in the definition of “relevant body” there is inserted after “health service body” the words “, a local probation board”f2.

3Statement of Accounts

(1)

Regulation 6(3)f1 of the 1996 Regulations is amended as follows.

(2)

There is inserted after sub-paragraph (b)—

“(ba)

The Greater London Authority;

(bb)

a functional body;

(bc)

the London Pensions Fund Authority;”f2.

(3)

There is inserted after sub-paragraph (h)—

“(ha)

the Greater London Magistrates Courts Authority.”f3.

(4)

Sub-paragraph (k) is omitted.

4Summary statement of accounts—Greater London Authority

After regulation 6 of the 1996 Regulations there is inserted—

“Summary statement of accounts—Greater London Authority

6A

The summary statement of accounts which the Greater London Authority (“the Authority”) is required to prepare by section 134 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999f1 shall be prepared in accordance with proper practices and shall include—

(a)

a summary of the income and expenditure of the Authority;

(b)

a summary of the income and expenditure of each of the functional bodies and the London Pensions Fund Authority;

(c)

a summary of the capital expenditure of the Authority; and

(d)

a summary of the capital expenditure of each of the functional bodies and the London Pensions Fund Authority.”

5Other Accounting Statements

In regulation 7 of the 1996 regulations, in paragraphs (3) and (4), for “£5000” substitute “£50,000”.

6Publication of Annual Audit Letter

After Regulation 16 of the 1996 Regulations there is inserted—

“Publication of Annual Audit Letter

16A

As soon as reasonably possible after it is received a relevant body shall—

(a)

publish the annual audit letterf1 received from the auditor; and

(b)

keep copies available for purchase by any person on payment of such sum as the relevant body may reasonably require.”

Signature

Signed by the authority of the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions

Alan Whitehead

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,

Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions

25th September 2001

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

The Regulations make minor amendments as respects England to the Accounts and Audit Regulations 1996 (“the 1996 Regulations”), which although made under the previous legislation, were continued in force by virtue of paragraph 2 of Schedule 4 to the Audit Commission Act 1998 (a consolidation measure).

Regulation 2 amends regulation 2 of the 1996 regulations so that they do not apply to local probation boards.

Regulation 3 amends regulation 6 of the 1996 Regulations to add the Greater London Authority, functional bodies, the London Pensions Authority and the Greater London Magistrates Courts Authority to the list of bodies required to prepare a statement of accounts.

Regulation 4 inserts a new regulation 6A into the 1996 regulations which specifies requirements for the summary statement of accounts to be prepared by the Greater London Authority.

Regulation 5 amends regulation 7 of the 1996 Regulations to increase the financial threshold above which parish councils are required to prepare income and expenditure accounts from £5000 to £50,000.

Regulation 6 inserts a new requirement into the 1996 regulations for relevant bodies to publish the annual audit letter they receive from their auditor.