Whole of Government Accounts 2022-23

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 31 Oct 2024 Closed: 16 May 2025 Parliament page
The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) consolidates the accounts of over 10,000 public organisations, including central government departments, local authorities, devolved administrations, the NHS, academy schools and public corporations, to provide the most complete and accurate picture of the UK’s public finances. The Committee’s scrutiny of the WGA 2021-22 warned … Read more
4 Recommendations
29 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
2 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 6 events
19 May
2025
Correspondence
16 May
2025
Report published
12 May
2025
Correspondence
19 Mar
2025
Report published
23 Jan
2025
Oral evidence
23 Jan
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
23 Jan 2025
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Andrew Cartner · HM Treasury Conrad Smewing · HM Treasury James Bowler CB · HM Treasury Rosie Seymour · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Will Garton · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Will Garton · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Title HC No. Published Items Response
16th Report - Whole of Government Accounts 2022-23 HC 367 19 Mar 2025 33 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
Clear
13 Conclusion
16th Report - Whole of Government …
Treasury provides £45 million for local authority audit services, considering continued future funding
The Treasury told us that it was providing £45 million of funding to MHCLG to support local authorities in purchasing audit services. It confirmed that such funding was to address where audit costs have risen faster than fees paid.27 We … Read more
HM Treasury
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14 Conclusion
16th Report - Whole of Government …
MHCLG plans to simplify local authority financial reporting to resolve audit issues
The Treasury and MHCLG also described other measures that they think will resolve the local authority audit issues. Beyond the backstop and additional funding, MHCLG said it is working to simplify the financial reporting requirements for local authorities, as the … Read more
HM Treasury
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19 Recommendation Not Addressed
16th Report - Whole of Government …
Require MHCLG to always seek explanations for late local authority accounts.
We also expressed concern as to whether MHCLG has the tools necessary to ensure local authorities produce audited accounts in future in line with the various backstop deadlines. MHCLG replied that, though backstop requirements are statutory, in the event a … Read more
Government Response
The government's response states it disagrees that MHCLG lacks sufficient oversight but does not address the specific recommendation for MHCLG to always ask for explanations regarding late local authority accounts.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 31 of 4 classified
Accepted 28
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 2
Total 4 recs + 29 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
19 May 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government relating to the 16th Report of Session 2024-25, Whole of Government Accounts 2022-23, Recommendations 2a, 3a, 3b, 05 May 2025
Parliament page
12 May 2025 To committee Letter from the Director General Public Spending at HM Treasury relating to the update on progress for the Whole of Government Accounts 2023-24, and response to recommendation 2b for the Whole of Government Accounts 2022-23 (16th Report of Session 2024-25), 07 May 2025
Parliament page