Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 24
24
We expect the COVID-19 pandemic to exacerbate these challenges to the timely production of the...
Conclusion
We expect the COVID-19 pandemic to exacerbate these challenges to the timely production of the WGA in future. The Treasury accepted that it can only start to produce the account once it receives a critical mass of audited returns from bodies and that COVID-19 and issues in the local audit market will present significant challenges in producing the WGA 2019–20. Returns for WGA are audited and based on bodies’ statutory accounts. At the date of our evidence session in November last year, there were still four major government departments which had not yet published their statutory accounts for 2019–20.50 The Treasury expected that OSCAR II will be able to produce the consolidation much more quickly once data returns have been received, however the OSCAR II consolidation module was not yet operational.51 47 WGA 2018–19, pp 37–47, 60–62 48 WGA 2018–19, p 186 49 WGA 2018–19, p 186; Redmond Review, p 1 50 Qq 99, 108 51 Qq 88, 99 Whole of Government Accounts 2018–19 15
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
4.3 The WGA 2019-20 performance report will include additional information showing how fiscal risks are monitored and managed in the local government sector and bring in wider information on finances in the sector into the performance report. In future years, WGA will also build on existing segmental reporting in the account to show more detailed breakdowns of local authority balance sheet and revenue and expenditure items in the performance report. HM Treasury will, in addition, work with MHCLG to support their implementation of the government’s response to the Redmond Review to ensure stability in the audit 18