Silence over audit issues at Herefordshire Council

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Tuesday, 18 September 2018 12:32

By Carmelo Garcia - Local Democracy Reporter

© Copyright Roger Cornfoot and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Herefordshire Council officers are keeping schtum over outstanding issues that have so far prevented auditors from signing off last year’s accounts.

The council has not yet received the external audit certificate of closure from auditors Grant Thornton for 2017/18.

The external auditors said that matters which relate to a single issue, which they cannot disclose due to confidentiality requirements, were preventing them from issuing the certificate but that it had no direct implications for the current audit of the council.

Officers at Plough Lane said they could not comment on what the outstanding issues were and whether or not they were related to the Blueschool House overspend.

The Hereford building cost £1.92m to refurbish which was more than double the cost of the original estimate of £950,000 approved by councillors.

A council spokesperson said: “The council has disclosed the information to Grant Thornton and they are currently considering the matter.

“We are unable to comment further due to confidentiality requirements.”

Jon Roberts, partner and head of assurance at Grant Thornton, said: “The matters that are preventing us issuing our certificate of closure relate to a single issue that I am not able to report to you due to the statutory confidentiality requirements we operate under.

“The fact the certificate is open has no direct implications for the current audit of the council but does allow me to reconsider my formal audit responsibilities for the council for these previous years when the matter is resolved.”

The council’s audit and governance committee is due to discuss a special investigation closure report conducted by internal auditors into the Blueschool House fiasco tomorrow prior to receiving the external auditor’s annual audit letter for 2017/18.