# English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, Paragraph 26

Extent: E+W
Status: prospective

(1) Schedule 4 (auditor panels) is amended as follows.
(2) In paragraph 1—
(a) in sub-paragraph (1)—
(i) in the words before paragraph (a), for “relevant authority (“R”)” substitute “health service body (“H”)”;
(ii) in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c), for “R” substitute “H”;
(iii) in paragraph (b), for “relevant authorities” substitute “health service bodies”;
(b) in sub-paragraph (2)—
(i) in the words before paragraph (a), and in paragraph (a), for “R” substitute “H”;
(ii) in paragraphs (a) and (b), for “R’s” substitute “H’s”;
(c) in sub-paragraph (3)—
(i) in paragraph (a), for “relevant authority other than R” substitute “health service body other than H”;
(ii) in paragraph (b), for “R” substitute “H”;
(iii) in paragraphs (b) and (c), “for “R’s” substitute “H’s”;
(iv) in paragraph (d), for “R” substitute “H”;
(d) in sub-paragraph (4), for “R”, in both places it occurs, substitute “H”;
(e) omit sub-paragraphs (5) and (6).
(3) Omit paragraph 2 and the preceding italic heading.
(4) Omit paragraph 3 and the preceding italic heading.
(5) In paragraph 4—
(a) in sub-paragraph (2)—
(i) in the words before paragraph (a), omit the words from “further” to “and”;
(ii) after paragraph (b) insert—
“(ba) whether any of the members of an auditor panel must be independent and, if so, the proportion which must be independent;
(bb) whether the chair of an auditor panel must be independent;
(bc) provision about the meaning of “independent” for the purposes of paragraphs (ba) and (bb);”;
(b) in sub-paragraph (3)—
(i) after “matters” insert “, except so far as relating to independence,”;
(ii) for “relevant authority’s” substitute “health service body’s”;
(iii) for “authority” substitute “body”.
(6) Omit paragraph 6 and the preceding italic heading.
(7) In paragraph 7, for “relevant authority” substitute “health service body”.
(8) Omit paragraph 8 and the preceding italic heading.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2026/23/schedule/36/paragraph/26 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/english-devolution-and-community-empowerment-act-2026/schedule-36/paragraph-26
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.