The Local Audit Office (LAO) is a planned statutory body of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in the UK Government, to oversee the auditing of local government in England.
Background The Labour government published a consultation on 18 December 2024 entitled Local audit reform: a strategy for overhauling the local audit system in England. The consultation paper proposed the creation of a new public body called the Local Audit Office. The reform was supported by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Provisions to establish the LAO are found in part 4 of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026.https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2026/23/part/4/enacted
Operations The LAO will be a statutory and independent arm’s-length body of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
See also National Audit Office (United Kingdom) Audit Commission (United Kingdom) Audit Wales Audit Scotland Northern Ireland Audit Office
References Citations
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External links Local Audit Office