Statement of Accounts for the Council
Annual Accounts
At the end of each financial year, we prepare a Statement of Accounts. This provides information about our expenditure and income and our financial standing.
The Statement of Accounts is a formal document complying with the accounting regulations which all local authorities must meet. Independent auditors examine our accounts to ensure that they present our financial position fairly.
The Council's financial year ends on 31st March and our statutory Chief Finance Officer (the Head of Finance & Revenues) signs a draft Statement of Accounts. Members of the public are able to examine the draft Accounts and ask questions of an independent auditor. We are required to publish our audited accounts by 30th September 2023. The National Audit Office's Local Audit Code and Guidance team has day to day responsibility for the way in which local auditors fulfil their statutory responsibilities. The National Audit Office explains how the public can inspect, question and challenge council’s accounts on their Council Accounts - A Guide to your rights webpage.
Our independent auditors are Ernst & Young LLP of Grosvenor House, Grosvenor Square, Southampton SO15 2BE.
STATUTORY NOTICE
AUDIT OF ACCOUNTS 2022-23
Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014, sections 25 – 27
Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 Regulations 14 – 15
The Council has published its Statement of Accounts for 2022/23, subject to audit and its Annual Governance Statement.
The Council’s accounts are subject to external audit by Ernst & Young LLP of Grosvenor House, Grosvenor Square, Southampton SO15 2BE.
The external audit of the draft Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2023 has not yet been completed by our external auditors due to a range of factors contributing to audit delays across the sector. This situation is allowed for by Regulation 10, paragraph (2a) of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.(See attached link: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/234/regulation/10/made). Therefore, this notification explains, as per paragraph (2a), that we are not yet able to publish our audited 2022/23 final Statement of Accounts in line with the deadline of 30th September 2023, as per paragraph (1). Upon completion of the audit, the Audit Committee will consider and approve the results of the 2022/23 audit, after which we will publish the final audited accounts.
By publishing this notice and the 2022/23 Audit letter, the Council are able to comply with this statutory requirement.
Carl Whatley
Head of Finance and Revenues
Test Valley Borough Council
Beech Hurst
Weyhill Road
Andover
Hampshire
SP10 3AJ