2023/24 - Accounts – Warwickshire County Council

2023/24

Warwickshire County Council

External audit of accounts: year ended 31 March 2024

Publication of Warwickshire County Council Statement of Accounts and Audit Opinion

The Accounts and Audit (England) Regulations 2015 – Regulation 10

As amended by: The Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2022 and The Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2024

The Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2022 require that the council and Pension Fund’s audited accounts and opinion for the year ended 31 March 2024 are published by 30 September 2024.

The Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2024 came into force on 30 September 2024. The deadline for the publication of audited accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 has been updated to 28 February 2025.

Therefore, there is no requirement to produce a notice of delayed audit in accordance with Regulation 10, paragraph (2a) of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.

The audit of the draft statement of accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 for Warwickshire County Council and Warwickshire Pension Fund have not yet been completed by the external auditors, Grant Thornton UK LLP. The audit and issue of the audit opinion is expected to conclude towards the end of 2024 after which the statement of accounts and audit opinion will be published as soon as is reasonably practicable.

Declaration by the Section 151 Officer

Declaration by the S151 Officer accompanying the Statement of Accounts (Account and Audit Regulations 2015 S15(2)) and the Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2022.

I declare, as S151 officer for Warwickshire County Council and Warwickshire Pension Fund that these accounts are unaudited and the Statement of Accounts as published are subject to change.

Name: Rob Powell

Signed: R Powell

Date: 31 May 2024

These accounts will now be audited by our external auditors, Grant Thornton, before being approved and published by 30 September 2024.

In accordance with the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 the Statement of Accounts 2023/2024 includes a narrative report which includes commentary on the authority’s financial performance and economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the use of its resources over the financial year.

In addition a copy of the draft Annual Governance Statement 2023/2024 is also included in the above document.

Details of the spending of each service group which makes up the authority’s spending in these accounts can be found in the 2023/2024 Financial Outturn Report to be considered by Cabinet on 13 June 2024.

The draft accounts are open to public inspection from 3 June 2024 as per the details below for Warwickshire County Council and Warwickshire Pension Fund.

Under the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 regulations 9 and 15, the commencement period for the exercise of public rights to inspect the draft 2023/2024 accounts and related documents, based on an account’s completion date of 31 May 2024, should include the first 10 working days of June, with inspection dates being between 3 June and 12 July 2024.

WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

AUDIT OF ACCOUNTS 2023/2024 – NOTICE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS

The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014

Accounts and Audit (England) Regulations 2015 & Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2022

The Accounts of Warwickshire County Council and Warwickshire Pension Fund are subject to audit by Grant Thornton, of The Colmore Building, 20 Colmore Circus, Birmingham, B4 6AT (Engagement Lead, Mr Avtar Sohal: Telephone 0121 212 4000).
Members of the public and local government electors have certain rights in the audit process in accordance with the regulations above.
These accounts will be available for public inspection for thirty full working days from Monday 3 June 2024 to Friday 12 July 2024 inclusive during normal office hours (9am-5pm Mondays to Thursdays, and 9am-4pm Fridays) when copies of all or part of any of the accounts and other documents mentioned may be made available including all the books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts relating to them. These rights do not permit a person to require disclosure of personal or certain commercially sensitive information as defined in Section 26 of The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. These will be available for inspection at the office at which they are normally kept, or otherwise by arrangement. Application should be made initially to Rob Powell, Executive Director for Resources, Shire Hall, Warwick, CV34 4RL (Telephone 01926 412045).
During the inspection period 9am on 3 June 2024 to 4pm on 12 July 2024, at the request of a local government elector for the area of the Council, the local auditor must give the elector or any representative of the elector, an opportunity to question the auditors about the accounting records of the Council. Please contact the auditor at the address in paragraph 1 above to make arrangement to ask any questions.
During the inspection period 9am on 3 June 2024 to 4pm on 12 July 2024, a local government elector for the area of the Council or their representative may object to the Council’s accounts asking that the auditor issue a report in the public interest or apply for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful under Section 28 of The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. Written notice of the proposed objection and the grounds on which it will be made must be sent to the auditor at the address given above and also copied to the Council at the address given below.

Dated this 31 May 2024

Rob Powell, Executive Director for Resources

Monica Fogarty, Chief Executive

Warwickshire County Council, Shire Hall, Warwick CV34 4RL