Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many and what proportion of local authorities (a) failed to meet the deadline of 30 September 2022 and (b) were still due to provide audited accounts for financial year 2021-22 as of 1 September 2023.

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.