Accounting Practice Upgrade or More False Promises?
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has been working on improving standards and accounting practices of local councils, particularly parish and small councils. The 2024/25 review shows that 97% of local authorities submitted their Annual Governance and Accountability Returns (AGARs) by the end of September. Whilst two-thirds of councils (67%) received clean, unqualified audit opinions. However, this also means, that 33% did not – ie one third of all councils. And although councils might have submitted their returns on time, this does not mean to say that their record was accurate or completely open and transparent. Thus the study would appear to focus primarily on completion rates rather than on the depth or effectiveness of audit scrutiny. The Report also stated that Auditors also maintained high levels of performance, completing 94% of reviews by the statutory deadline, rising to 96% by year-end. However, this might be to pla...