PART 2 S ACCOUNTABILITY AND AUDIT

Audit and value for money examinations S

21 Audit of accounts S

(1) This section and section 22 apply in relation to any account which is, by virtue of any enactment or prerogative instrument, required (in whatever words) to be—

(a) audited by the Auditor General, or

(b) sent to the Auditor General for auditing.

(2) The account must be sent to the Auditor General not later than 6 months after the end of the financial year to which the account relates.

(3) The account is to be audited by—

(a) the Auditor General, or

(b) a qualified person appearing to the Auditor General to be suitable for appointment to audit the account by reason of, among other things, the person’s professional qualifications and experience.

(4) It is for the Auditor General personally to decide who is to audit the account.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (3)(b) a person is qualified if that person is—

(a) [F1 eligible for appointment as a statutory auditor under Chapter 2 of Part 42 of the Companies Act 2006], or

(b) a member of a body of accountants established in the United Kingdom or another EEA State;

and “EEA State” means any State which is a Contracting Party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area signed at Oporto on 2nd May 1992, as adjusted by the Protocol signed at Brussels on 17th March 1993.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 21(5)(a) substituted (6.4.2008) by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments etc) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/948), Sch. 1 para. 27 (with arts. 6, 11, 12)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 21(2) applied (with modifications) (1.4.2000 with application as mentioned in art. 6(1) of the amending S.S.I.) by S.S.I. 2000/46, art. 6(3)