Agenda item

12.1

Kayleigh Inman, Senior Finance Manager, Internal Audit, introduced a report of the Head of Strategic Finance that summarised the changes to the arrangements for appointing External Auditors following the closure of the Audit Commission. Appended to the report was a prospectus issued by the Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited on developing the option of a national scheme for local auditor appointments.

12.2

As requested at the previous meeting of the Committee, the report also included consideration of the costs and benefits of independent procurement and opting into the Sector-led Body. The Council would need to consider the available options and put in place new arrangements in time to make a first appointment by 31 December 2017. All the South and West Yorkshire local authorities had been contacted, together with the Sheffield City Region and Passenger Transport Executive, and all preferred the sector-led approach.

12.3

Resolved: That the Committee:-

(a)

supports the principle of joining the Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) Limited for the procurement of audit contracts with effect from 2018/19; and

(b)

notes that a formal decision to accept the PSAA invitation will be required by Full Council at a later date.

(Note: Alison Ormston, KPMG, left the meeting prior to consideration of the above item on the Changes to the Arrangements for the Appointment of the External Auditor due to a potential conflict of interest).