Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress his Department has made on implementing the recommendations of the Redmond Review into the effectiveness of local audits.

The challenges facing local audit are complex and require action from organisations across the system. We have worked with key partners to implement the majority of Redmond's recommendations.

We are continuing to deliver reform in this area, including developing the proposals set out in the cross-system statement on local audit delays published in July, and are working with the FRC as it prepares to take on its new role as system leader for local audit.

Local authorities' websites show whether statement of accounts have been audited.

More generally, as you know, the Government is establishing the Office for Local Government (Oflog) so as to improve the accountability for performance across the local government sector, including overspending. Lord Amyas Morse, former Comptroller & Auditor General of the NAO, has been announced as Oflog’s interim Chair.