Audit Commission to be scrapped, government confirms
Work of the Audit Commission to be replaced with private sector contracts
The Audit Commission is to close, with the loss of 2,000 jobs, the government
has confirmed.
The closure of the financial watchdog for local authorities across England
and Wales is intended to save £50m a year, according to communities secretary
Eric Pickles.
However, the closure of the Audit Commission could provide an opportunity for
accountancy firms, with councils expected to employ private firms to undertake
the work previously carried out by the Commission.
The 2,000 staff at the Commission were informed of the decision on Friday by
an email from management. This move was described as “disgraceful” by local
government minister Bob Neill, according to the
BBC.
Shadow communities secretary John Denham said the closure would mean leaving
taxpayers without any “coherent information” on the value for money their
council provided.