MARKET WEIGHTON IDB

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF DATE FOR THE EXERCISE OF ELECTORS' RIGHTS

ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2010

1.  Date of announcement 14 June 2010

2.  Each year the annual return is audited by an external auditor appointed by the Audit Commission.  Any person interested has the opportunity to inspect and make copies of the Annual Return and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts relating to the accounting statements.  For the year ended 31 March 2010 these documents will be available on reasonable notice on application to:

P Clark, Clerk to the Board, Market Weighton Drainage Board, Burnby Hall, Pocklington, York, YO42 2QF.

between the hours of 09.00 and 16.00 on Mondays to Fridays

commencing on 28 June 2010 and ending on 26 July 2010.

3.  Local electors and their representatives also have rights to:

• question the auditor about the accounts; and
• object to the accounts or any item in them.  Written notice of an objection must first be given to the auditor and a copy sent to the board.

The auditor can be contacted at the address in paragraph 4 below for this purpose on 29 July 2010 and until the audit has been completed.

4.  This audit is being conducted under the provisions of the Audit Commission Act 1998, the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003 as amended and the Audit Commission's Code of Audit Practice.  Your audit is being carried out by:

Audit Commission, 2nd Floor, Aspinall House, Aspinall Close, Middlebrook, Bolton, BL6 6QQ

5.  This announcement is made by Mr P Clark.

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INTERNAL DRAINAGE BOARDS' ACCOUNTS:  A SUMMARY OF YOUR RIGHTS

The basic position

By law ³⁷ any interested person has the right to inspect the Board’s accounts.  If you are entitled and registered to vote in local council elections in any local authority within the Internal Drainage Area then you (or your representative) also have the right to ask the appointed auditor questions ³⁸ about the Internal Drainage Board’s accounts or object to ³⁹ an item of account contained within them.

The right to inspect the accounts

When your internal Drainage Board has finalised its accounts for the previous financial year it must let you know that they are available for inspection.  Having given the Board reasonable notice of your intentions, you then have 20 working days to look through the accounting statements in the annual return and any supporting documents.  By arrangement you will be able to make copies of the accounts and the relevant documents although you may have to pay a copying charge.

The right to ask the auditor questions about the accounts

You can only ask the appointed auditor questions about the accounts.  The auditor does not have to answer questions about the Board’s policies, finances, procedures or anything else not related to the accounts.  Your question must be about the accounts that they are auditing.  The auditor does not have to say whether they think something the Board has done, or an item in its accounts, is lawful or reasonable.

The right to object to the accounts

If you think that the Board has spent money that it shouldn’t have, or that someone has caused a loss to the Board deliberately or by behaving irresponsibly, you can object to the external auditor by sending a formal ‘notice of objection’, which must be in writing to the address below.  You must tell the auditor why you are objecting.  The auditor must reach a decision on your objection.  If you are not happy with that decision, you can appeal to the courts.

You may also object if you think that there is something in the accounts that the auditor should discuss with the Board or tell the public about in a ‘public interest report’.  Again, you must give your reasons in writing to the auditor at the address below and send a copy to the Board.  In this case, the auditor must decide whether to take any action.  The auditor will normally, but does not have to give reasons for their decision and you cannot appeal to the courts.  More information is available from the Audit Commission website.

You should not use this ‘right to object’ to make a personal complaint or claim against your Board.  You should take such complaints direct to your local Citizens’ Advice Bureau, local Law Centre or to your solicitor.  You may also be able to complain to the Standards Committee or your local authority if you believe a Member of the Board has broken the Code of Conduct for Members.  For further information about the local standards framework, contact Standards for England at:  The Standards for England, Fourth Floor, Griffin House, 40 Lever Street, Manchester, M1 1BB, telephone 01618175300 or email: enquiries@standardsforengland.gov.uk  Standards for England website is www.standardsforengland.gov.uk

What else you can do

Instead of objecting, you can give the auditor information that is relevant to their responsibilities.  For example, you can simply tell the auditor if you think that something is wrong with the accounts or if you identify waste and inefficiency in the way the board runs its services.  You do not have to follow any set time limits or procedures.  The auditor does not have to give you a detailed report of their investigation, but they will usually tell you the outcome.

A final word

Internal Drainage Boards, and so local taxpayers, must meet the costs of dealing with questions and objections.  When the auditor decides whether to take your objection further, one of a series of factors they must take into account includes the cost that will be involved.  They will only continue with the objection if it is in the public interest to do so.  If you appeal to the courts, you might have to pay for the action yourself.

Copies of the publication Council Accounts – Your Rights are available by calling Freephone 0800502030 or by download from the Audit Commission website at http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/aboutus/contactus/pages/councilaccountqueries.aspx

If you with to contact your Board’s appointed external auditor please write to:  Audit Commission, 2^ndFloor, Aspinall House, Aspinall Close, Middlebrook, Bolton BL6 6QQ

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³⁷ Section 15(1) Audit Commission Act 1998

³⁸Section 15(2) Audit Commission Act 1998

³⁹Section 15(1) Audit Commission Act 1998

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