Local Audit and Accountability Bill [HL]

My Lords, I express my appreciation to the noble Lord, Lord McKenzie, for raising this issue, because I know it is one of concern. Indeed, it was one of the concerns, as I think he mentioned, expressed by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, best known to us all as CIPFA. One of the concerns that it raised in its Second Reading briefing was that the wider scope of public audit has not been fully embedded in the Bill. This is perhaps an example of that. CIPFA makes the point, which those of us familiar with local government will understand very well, that public audit is a good deal wider than private sector audit. I do not think I need to labour the point. We are looking forward to the Minister’s response, which I see she is eager to give us.