Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he can now announce what arrangements he has made to extend the experimental use of firms of accountants in the external audit of health authorities.
Mr. John PattenI have decided to appoint four firms of accountants to audit the accounts of six selected district health authorities. The appointments will be for a trial period of three to five years starting with the accounts for the year ending 31 March 1984.
This extension to the use of independent firms will give the experiment, presently involving six firms and eight 212W health authorities, a broader and more varied base to allow a full judgment to be made on the value of the use of commercial auditors.
After consideration of the tenders, the offers of appointments have been approved as follows:
District Health Authority Auditor East Yorkshire Dearden Farrow, Chartered Accountants Hull Peterborough Binder Hamlyn, Chartered Accountants West Norfolk and Wisbech City and Hackney Price Waterhouse, Chartered Accountants Newham Deloitte Haskins and Sells, Chartered Accountants