§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the potential conflict of interest in the practice of further education colleges(a) employing and (b) receiving on secondment, staff from companies engaged as the college's auditors; and if he will discuss this matter with the Further Education Funding Council prior to issuing guidance on practice. [107972]
249W
§ Mr. WicksIt is for individual colleges to determine whether to use auditors for other services. Audit arrangements in FE have been strengthened by the requirement that auditors cannot be responsible both for internal and external audits. The Further Education Funding Council for England require all colleges to disclose in their accounts remuneration to auditors for their services.
§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many further education colleges have employed external consultants to advise on unit farming; and if he will make a statement. [107973]
§ Mr. WicksThis information is not held centrally. But in designing the new funding systems that will be employed by the Learning and Skills Council, subject to the passage of legislation, we intend that arrangements should be simpler to understand, administer and audit than current arrangements.