SCDC Letter

FAO Councillor John Williams, Lead Cabinet Member for Finance, South Cambs District
Council
and Peter Maddock, Head of Finance, South Cambs District Council
South Cambs District Council Accounts
This letter is to ask when you will be publishing your audited accounts for the Financial
Years 2018/19 and 2019/20. We are concerned to see that these are not available on your
website and there is no indication as to when they might be published.
We have viewed your website page
(https://www.scambs.gov.uk/your-council-and-democracy/performance-and-plans/councilaccounts-and-annual-governance-statement/)
With regard to the 2018/19 accounts it states they are still subject to statutory audit,
meaning they are nearly two years overdue.
And for 2019/20 it states that the deadline has been pushed to 30 November 2020. A date
that was seven months ago.
We are concerned about the lack of transparency for Council Tax payers in South
Cambridgeshire.
As you say on the web page: “We strive to be open about our finances and about letting
you know how the money is being used.”
We struggle to see how this openness is to be achieved while the accounts going back two
financial years are not available.
While we appreciate these are difficult times for all organisations, we note that all the other
five District/City Councils in Cambridgeshire along with the County Council and the
Combined Authority have published their audited accounts on their websites for those two
years. The Combined Authority has already posted its draft accounts for 2020/21. You will,
of course, also appreciate that in failing to publish audited accounts by 31 st July of the end
of each of financial years 2018/19 and 2019/20, you are in breach of the requirements of the
Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 and Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.
Peterborough Council was late in publishing their audited accounts for 2019/20, achieving
this only on 21 st June this year. However, throughout the delay there was a clear statement
about this on their website and the draft accounts were posted for any interested party to
view.
We believe that the draft accounts should be made available on your website now. And
there should be an update to the residents of South Cambs District as to when you
anticipate that the fully audited statements will be available.
Please will you advise when this information will be available to local residents and other
interested parties in South Cambridgeshire? Local residents are concerned to know that
their money is being spent wisely.
With kind regards

Elizabeth McWilliams
Local Government Spokesperson for South East Cambridgeshire Constituency Labour
Party.
Background information. Links to all councils accounts
Cambridge City Council https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/statement-of-accounts
Cambridgeshire County Council
https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/council/finance-and-budget/statement-of-accounts
Combined Authority
https://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/documents/finance/sta
tement-of-accounts/2019/Cambs-Pboro-CA-Final-Statement-of-Accounts-2018-2019.pdf
https://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/documents/finance/sta
tement-of-accounts/Latest-Final-Statement-of-Accounts.pdf
https://mk0cpcamainsitehdbtm.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/documents/finance/sta
tement-of-accounts/2021/Draft-Statement-of-Accounts-2020-2021.pdf
East Cambs Council https://www.eastcambs.gov.uk/finance/council-accounts
Fenland Council https://www.fenland.gov.uk/article/14609/Previous-financial-years
Huntingdonshire District Council
https://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/council-democracy/council-open-data-and-informatio
n/budget-and-spending/finance-document-archive/
Peterborough City Council
https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/council/budgets-spending-and-performance/our-fi
nances#statement-of-accounts-10-0
South Cambridgeshire District Council
https://www.scambs.gov.uk/your-council-and-democracy/performance-and-plans/councilaccounts-and-annual-governance-statement/
Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 -
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/2/contents/enacted
Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 -
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/234/contents/made