Request for an update on the 2019/20 NLWA accounts

Nature of Request
Governance
Case id
2021-146

Request

Date received

Subject: Re: NLWA accounts - 2019/20

Mr X, 

I notice that the Forward Plan report (Appx A p 2) states re the 2019/20 accounts:

Date [for Audit Committee meeting] to be set as soon as practically possible after the audit [2019/20] has been completed.  

When do you expect the audit to be completed please?

 Thanks,

 XX

 

AND PREVIOUS REQUEST:

Dear Mr  X,

I note the report (24/06 meeting papers) about the Authority's financial outturn etc for 2020/21 and that the accounts have to be presented by end-September.

However, the last public announcement re the 2019/20 accounts (Dec 2020) is that they are delayed. Even with the inconvenience of Covid, these are surely not hugely complicated and it's very surprising that the seem still to be unavailable..

What is the present position regarding 2019/20 please? Do they not have to be finalised and approved before you deal with the year just ended?

 With kind regards,

Response

Response date

Our ref: EIR 2021-146

REF: Request for an update on North London Waste Authority’ 2019/20 final accounts

Thank you for your enquiry of 18 June 2021 regarding the Authority’s 2019/20 final accounts.  A report was submitted to the Authority meeting on 22 April which advised that the Audit was progressing and that we hoped that the audit fieldwork would be completed by the end of April.  This work has been completed, and since then we have been completing the outstanding queries that the auditors have asked.  A copy of the report can be found on our website and I have provided a link below.

https://www.nlwa.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2021-04/02%20Update%20on%20Audit%202019-20.pdf20Audit

I am hopeful that the auditors will shortly confirm that their work is complete and that, in the near future, I can arrange for the audit committee to meet.

The 2020/21 financial statements are being prepared on the basis that at the point of writing, the outturn reported to the Authority for 2019/20 has not changed during the audit.  Any changes to the presentation of financial information requested by the auditor in the 2019/20 statements will be included in the 2020/21 statements as well.  I am aiming to have these draft statements published by the end of July, as per the regulations for 2020/21.

Yours sincerely,

SUBSEQUENT CORRECTION ISSUED 19 July 2021

Here’s the correct link – apologies. I’ll correct it in our files too.

https://www.nlwa.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2021-04/02%20Update%20on%20Audit%202019-20.pdf

Kind regards