Issue - meetings

The External Auditor will provide a verbal update on progress. The written report will now be considered by the Committee at its 27 February meeting.

Peter Barber, representing Grant Thornton, the Council’s External Auditor, provided a verbal update on the Statement of Accounts 2023/24.

Although further progress had been made since November 2024, it had not been possible to complete the work required and it was now intended to submit the statement of accounts and audit findings reports to the next meeting on 27 February 2025. This would still comply with the end of  February deadline. Mr Barber reminded Members of the position as previously reported. The main area outstanding remained the IAS 19 Pension Fund Liability Letter of Assurance. A draft letter had been received and Mr Barber was confident that the final letter would be forthcoming in the next week. Dorset Pension Fund attributed the delay to their officers working with Deliottes, the predecessor auditors, to backstop a prior audit. Work on other minor areas was due to conclude shortly. In addition Mr Barber confirmed that work was progressing well in considering one public objection to the accounts. A response would be provided as soon as practicable, factoring in the need to go through the proper channels first.

Mr Barber confirmed that the problem of outstanding audits was a national challenge. Many councils had applied a backstop approach to one or more audit years. He assured members that Grant Thornton and the officers at BCP Council had been working hard to ensure that 2023/24 was a full audit.  Mr Barber was asked whether he was confident that Deliottes would provide a comprehensive handover to Grant Thornton. Although unable to make specific comment on this, he did assure the Committee that the position this year was significantly different to the previous year and that he was confident that the letter of assurance would be received and the pension fund audit opinion issued.