Recommendation 25

The Department explained that the resolution of the qualified opinion on the WGA continues to be discussed between the Department and HM Treasury, albeit has been deprioritised while government focuses on its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department told us that it envisaged that it may be particularly challenging to demonstrate the accuracy of the more complex valuations required for land and buildings and the pension assets and liabilities recognised within the SARA at a different reporting year- end. As such, the Department does not yet have a timescale for addressing the qualification within the WGA arising from consolidation of the SARA but informed us it will continue to work with HM Treasury to make progress as quickly as possible.68 64 Q 22; HC Committee of Public Accounts, School Funding: Twenty-First Report of Session 2021–22, HC 183, October 2021, recommendation 3, paras 13–16 65 Academy schools sector in England: consolidated annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 August 2016, HC 425, October 2017, p.78 66 Academy schools sector in England: Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2020, pages 96–98 67 Whole of Government Accounts, year ended 31 March 2019, HC500, July 2020, p. 185 68 Qq 85–86 18 Academies Sector Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20 3 Governance and oversight Financial support for academy trusts in difficulty