§ Mr. WhiteTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will undertake a comparison between the audit process for small parish councils and those for(a) charities and (b) businesses of similar financial size. [101488]
§ Ms Beverley HughesAs recognised by statute, the audit processes for local authorities, including parish councils, are not comparable with those of the private sector or charitable bodies, reflecting that authorities largely obtain their funds through taxation.