Audit Commission

The Commission's statutory powers and duties in relation to audit are to:

• Appoint auditors to local government and NHS bodies
• Prescribe how auditors should carry out their functions through a Code of Audit Practice
• Set scales of fees for audit work
• Make arrangements for certifying claims and returns

In exercising its statutory powers in relation to audit the Commission aims are to secure high quality, value for money audits through a mixed economy of suppliers and to promote a consistent approach both between different auditors and across the country.

Currently some 30 per cent of audits are carried out by private sector audit firms which have demonstrated that they have the necessary skills and expertise, and resources to deliver high quality audits that meet the Commission's exacting standards. The firms are:

• Baker Tilly
• Deloitte
• KPMG
• PKF
• PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Mazars
• Grant Thornton

In addition, some 70 per cent of local council audits are carried out by private sector audit firms.

The Commission's in house audit practice is the sixth largest audit practice in the UK. It aims to deliver high quality, value for money audits that comply with professional and ethical standards and the Commission's regulatory requirements and that have impact and are perceived by audited bodies as adding value to their business.