The ICAEW has sparked further controversy between UK institutes after pulling out of collaboration on continuing professional development.

The board-level decision to quit working through the accounting umbrella body, the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies, to provide better CPD training has provoked surprise and disappointment among other institutes.

‘We’re disappointed that they feel they need to make this decision,’ said an ACCA spokesman. ‘We believe CPD is an area with a need for considerable co-operation.’

The move came just days after ICAS ended its fast-track membership scheme with CIPFA. But ICAS, which has argued with the ICAEW over the proposed super-institute name, did not believe the decision was a tit-for-tat response.

ICAS chief executive Des Hudson also insisted that he would attempt to persuade the ICAEW to come back on board. ‘We hope for the chance for a mature discussion,’ he said.

The ICAEW stated that ‘significant competition between institutes for students and eventually membership’ left the institute’s board to ‘reluctantly’ end its collaboration on CPD. ‘We see the provision of membership support and in particular, CPD support, to members as an essential feature of differentiation,’ the statement added.