The CIPFA/LASAAC Local Authority Code Board has issued a consultation on short term England-only measures in the Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting in the United Kingdom (the Code). The proposals are to aid the recovery of local authority reporting and audit as set out in a joint statement from DLUHC and other system partners issued in February 2024.
Local authority stakeholders will be aware that there is a significant backlog in local financial reporting and audit in England and may also be aware of measures that the government is seeking to progress to address this issue.
After considering a wide range of options CIPFA LASAAC decided to explore two approaches. These would affect the 2023/24 and 2024/25 Codes, by providing:
- An option to simplify measurement of operational property plant and equipment using specified indexation, and
- Reduced disclosures for pensions reporting, by aligning that reporting with FRS 102, The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Consultation details
The Invitation to Comment (ITC) summarises the possible changes to the code. The exposure draft which presents the changes in the Code is included separately.
Interested parties are invited to provide responses to questions in the ITC, via the invitation to comment form. Where CIPFA/LASAAC is interested in specific issues, consultation questions have been included in the ITC. In order to assess responses properly CIPFA/LASAAC would prefer respondents to support comments with clear accounting reasons and, where applicable, explanations of practical effects.
The consultation period will be four weeks, meaning it will close at 23.00 on 28 March 2024. Please note that timescales for any possible changes arising from this consultation are very short. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to add any extensions to this date due to its exceptional nature.
Find out more
For more information please join the hour long webinar being held at 11:00 on 11 March 2024 (date now confirmed).