Audit of Accounts year ended 31 March 2021. Local Audit and Accountability Act, 2014 s. 25,26,27 and 28 Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, Regs 9,10,13,14 and 15.
The Council’s accounts are subject to external audit by Mark Stocks of Grant Thornton UK LLP, Colmore Plaza, 20 Colmore Circus, Birmingham, West Midlands, B4 6AT. Telephone : 0121 212 4000
The draft Statement of Accounts for the year ended 2020/21 can be found on Statement of Accounts
Members of the public and local government electors have certain rights in the audit process:
- From 9.30 am on 5th July 2021 until 4:30pm on Friday 13th August 2021 any person may inspect the accounts of the Council for the year ended 31 March 2020 and certain related documents (comprising books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts) at the office of the Director of Finance and Legal Services, Council House, Dudley. They may also make copies of the accounts and documents.
- In order to ensure the efficient organisation of this process and since it is impractical to deposit all such records in one place, could anyone wishing to inspect the accounts please contact the Central Finance Team (telephone 01384 814202 or e-mail accountancy.support@dudley.gov.uk) to make arrangements for inspection.
- From 9.30 am on 5th July 2021 until 4:30pm on Friday 13th August 2021 a local government elector for the area of the Council, or his/her representative, may ask the auditor questions about the accounts. Please contact the auditor, Mark Stocks of Grant Thornton UK LLP, Colmore Plaza, 20 Colmore Circus, Birmingham, West Midlands, B4 6AT. Telephone : 0121 212 4000, to make arrangements to ask any questions.
- From 9.30 am on 5th July 2021 until 4:30pm on Friday 13th August 2021 a local government elector for the area of the Council, or his/her representative, may object to the Council’s accounts asking that the auditor issue a report in the public interest (under section 27 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014) and/or apply to the court for a declaration that an item in the accounts is contrary to law (under section 27 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014). Written notice of a proposed objection and the grounds on which it is made must be sent to the auditor at the address given above and copied to me at the address below.
Please note that these dates are a month later than usual practice because the deadline dates for publication of draft and full accounts for Councils have been extended for 2020/21 and 2021/22 by an amendment made in 2021 to the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.
Dated : 1st July 2021
Mr Iain Newman, Director of Finance and Legal Services, Council House, Dudley,
West Midlands DY1 1HF
