HC Deb 05 April 1982 vol 21 cc789-90

39B. —(1) An auditor shall have a right of access at all reasonable times to all such documents relating to a body whose accounts are required to be audited in accordance with this Schedule as appear to him necessary for the purposes of the audit and shall be entitled to require from any person holding or accountable for any such document such information and information and explanation as he thinks necessary for those purposes and, if he thinks it necessary, to require any such person to attend before him in person to give the information or explanation or to produce any such document.

(2) Without prejudice to sub-paragraph (1) above the auditor shall be entitled to require any officer or member of the body concerned to give him such information or explanation as he thinks necessary for the purposes of the audit and, if he thinks it necessary, to require any such officer or member to attend before him in person to give the information or explanation.

(3) Without prejudice to sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) above, the body concerned shall provide the auditor with every facility and all information which he may reasonably require for the purposes of the audit.

(4) Any person who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with any requirement of an auditor under sub-paragraph (1) or

(2) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £200 and to an additional fine not exceeding £20 for each day on which the offence continues after conviction thereof.

(5) Any expenses incurred by an auditor in connection with proceedings for an offence under sub-paragraph (4) above alleged to have been committed in relation to the audit of the accounts of any body shall, so far as not recovered from any other source, be recoverable from that body.