HC Deb 20 December 1990 vol 183 cc267-8W
Sir Hugh Rossi

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the Audit Commission regarding local authorities which are more than 12 months in breach of their statutory duty to produce accounts for audit; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Portillo

The Audit Commission publishes each year a list of authorities which are in breach of their statutory duty to produce accounts for audit. It lists those which have not produced accounts by 31 December i.e. within nine months. That number fell from 80 for 1986–87 to 32 for 1987–88 and 29 for 1988–89. Our officials and the Commission's officers have discussed this position amongst other matters during their regular contacts.

Sir Hugh Rossi

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities in England and Wales have not published their statements of account for the financial years(a) 1987–88, (b) 1986–87, (c) 1985–86 and (d) any earlier year.

Mr. Portillo

I regret that the Department does not have this information.

Sir Hugh Rossi

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment against how many local authorities in breach by more than 12 months of their statutory duty to publish their accounts or produce them for audit proceedings have been instituted.

Mr. Portillo

None.

Sir Hugh Rossi

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is treated as a reasonable excuse for a local authority to have failed to publish its statement of account more than 12 months after being required by statute so to do.

Mr. Portillo

It would be for the court to decide in the circumstances of a particular case whether there was a reasonable excuse for a local authority to have failed to publish its statement of account by the statutory time limit.