Objections to the financial accounts

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Research for Action

Dear Brent Borough Council,

The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 provides local electors with the right to object to an item of their local authority's financial accounts. In relation to all the objections received between 2015 and 2020 (including objections to the 2014/15 accounts) please provide the following information in Excel spreadsheet format.

Please use the list below as column headers and compile the data for each objection in a separate row.

1. Objection reference no.
2. Date the objection was received
3. Financial year the objection relates to
4. Subject of the objection
5. Auditor who dealt with the objection (company name)
6. Did the objector ask for a referral to the High Court or a Public Interest Report, or both?
7. Was the objection accepted as valid?
8. If not, why?
9. Has the auditor provided a final response to the objection?
10. If yes, please indicate the date of the final response.
11. Was a public interest report issued?
12. Was a referral made to the High Court?
13. If so, what was the High Court’s decision?
14. Were any other recommendations made or actions taken by the auditor under the powers set out in Section 24 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act?
15. How much was the council charged by the auditor to carry out work in relation to the objection?

Kind regards,

Ludovica Rogers

Freedom of Information, Brent Borough Council

Thank you for contacting the FOI Team.

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DoNotReply1, Brent Borough Council

[1]brentlogo1 (227×84)   Tel: 020 89371234
Email: [email address]
Web: [2]https://www.brent.gov.uk/your-council/

Dear Ludovica Rogers 

RE: FW: Freedom of Information request - Objections to the financial
accounts 
Thank you for contacting the council on 16/12/2020.
Your case will be assigned to an officer and you should receive their
details soon.

Please use this reference number IRC-01659-Y4M9W2 when contacting us about
this case.
Please note that we may require further information in order for us to
proceed, in which case we will contact you. 

If you would like further information on how your case will be dealt with,
please visit our website: [3]https://www.brent.gov.uk/your-council/ 
Yours sincerely 
London Borough of Brent

[4]For the latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19), go online.

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Brent Council -Brent Finance, Brent Borough Council

[1]brentlogo1 (227×84)   Tel: 020 8937 1393
Email: [email address]
Web: [2]www.brent.gov.uk/

Our Ref: IRC-01659-Y4M9W2
Your Ref:

Dear ‎Ludovica Rogers
 

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Thank you for your request for information that was received on
16/12/2020.

We are dealing with your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
and we aim to send a response by 18/01/2021.

In some cases, a fee may be payable. If we decide a fee is payable, we
will send you a fee notice and we will require you to pay the fee before
proceeding with your request.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 may restrict the release of some or
all of the information you have requested. We will carry out an assessment
and if any exemptions apply to some or all of the information then we
might not provide that information to you. We will inform you if this is
the case and advise you of your rights to request an internal review and
to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.

We will also advise you if we cannot provide you with the information
requested for any other reason together with the reason(s) why and details
of how you may appeal (if appropriate).
 

Further information about the Councils procedures can be found on the
Council's website:
[3]https://www.brent.gov.uk/your-council/tr...

Alternatively, you may contact me using the contact details provided in
this correspondence. 

Yours sincerely 
Logini Saththiyan
Graduate Trainee

 

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and other lawful purposes.

References

Visible links
2. https://www.brent.gov.uk/your-council/
3. https://www.brent.gov.uk/your-council/tr...

Brent Council -Brent Finance, Brent Borough Council

2 Attachments

[1]brentlogo1 (227×84)   Tel: 020 8937 1393
Email: [email address]
Web: [2]https://www.brent.gov.uk/your-council/

Our Ref: IRC-01659-Y4M9W2

Dear ‎Ludovica Rogers

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Thank you for your information request received on 16/12/2020.
This request is being handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

You requested the following information:

'Dear Brent Borough Council,
The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 provides local electors with
the right to object to an item of their local authority's financial
accounts. In relation to all the objections received between 2015 and 2020
(including objections to the 2014/15 accounts) please provide the
following information in Excel spreadsheet format.
Please use the list below as column headers and compile the data for each
objection in a separate row.
1. Objection reference no.
2. Date the objection was received
3. Financial year the objection relates to 4. Subject of the objection 5.
Auditor who dealt with the objection (company name) 6. Did the objector
ask for a referral to the High Court or a Public Interest Report, or both?
7. Was the objection accepted as valid?
8. If not, why?
9. Has the auditor provided a final response to the objection?
10. If yes, please indicate the date of the final response.
11. Was a public interest report issued?
12. Was a referral made to the High Court?
13. If so, what was the High Court’s decision?
14. Were any other recommendations made or actions taken by the auditor
under the powers set out in Section 24 of the Local Audit and
Accountability Act?
15. How much was the council charged by the auditor to carry out work in
relation to the objection?'

I can confirm that Brent Council holds the information you have
requested. Please find attached our response to your request in Excel
spreadsheet format and a related PDF document.
 
There have only been two objections to Brent Council's financial accounts
in the financial year 2015/16. There have been no further objections to
Brent Council's financial accounts in other years between 2014/15 and
2019/20. 
If you are dissatisfied with the way, in which your request has been
handled or the outcome, you may request an internal review within two
calendar months of the date of this response by writing to the following
address:

Freedom of Information
Brent Civic Centre
Engineers Way
Wembley
HA9 0FJ

[3][email address]

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or internal
review, you have a right to appeal directly to the Information
Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be
contacted at:

The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. Phone: 0303 123 1113
Website: [4]www.ico.org.uk

I will now close your request as of the date of this letter. 

Yours sincerely 
Logini Saththiyan
Graduate Trainee

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The use of Brent Council's e-mail system may be monitored and
communications read in order to secure effective operation of the system
and other lawful purposes.

References

Visible links
2. https://www.brent.gov.uk/your-council/
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.ico.org.uk/

Research for Action

Dear FOI officer,
Thank you for your response.
However some of the information is missing.
Could you kindly provide as requested:
- the exact dates in which the objections were submitted.
- the dates in which the auditors provided a final response to the objections, in other words, the date in which they responded with the outcomes of their review.
Kind regards,
Ludovica Rogers

Research for Action

Dear FOI officer,
I am still awaiting a response to my last email.
Could you kindly provide it?
Kind regards,
Ludovica Rogers