Grant Thornton accepts as “eligible” objection to the 2020-21 accounts for Merseyside Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside

Grant Thornton accepts as “eligible” objection to the 2020-21 accounts for Merseyside Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside

Birchmore Willow Ltd invoice to Merseyside Police

Grant Thornton accepts as “eligible” objection to the 2020-21 accounts for Merseyside Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside

                                                  

By John Brace (Editor)
and
Leonora Brace (Co-Editor)

First publication date: Monday 13th September 2021, 4:13 PM (BST).

Birchmore Willow Ltd invoice to Merseyside Police

In an update to an earlier blog post headlined Why am I objecting to the 2020-21 accounts for Merseyside Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside? Grant Thornton (the auditors for Merseyside Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside) have accepted the objection as eligible.

This is the first financial year (2020-21) that new timescales in the revised Code of Audit Practice apply to the various decision stages in considering objections.

No response has been sent to me yet by Merseyside Police of the Office or the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside. As Grant Thornton have no objections to publishing their email to myself, a copy with personal information redacted is below.


************* <***********************>

3 September 2021 at 13:20
To: John Brace <john@johnbrace.com<

Commercial in confidence

Dear Mr Brace

I have considered the content of the objection you have raised in respect of the financial statements of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside and The Chief Constable of Merseyside Police for the year ended 31 March 2021.

The correspondence I received from yourself on 27 August 2021 complies with the statutory requirements for an objection to the accounts.

While this marks the start of the formal objection process, I would encourage you and the PCC/CC to continue your discussion with a view to resolving the issue between you. I am aware that the PCC/CC are preparing a response to the matters you have raised. Following receipt of this response, I will consider whether or not to exercise my discretion not to consider your objection if I feel that this addresses the situation sufficiently to determine whether to further consider the objection.

Please also note that you are free to withdraw your notice of objection at any time. Withdrawing a notice of objection does not prevent me from taking separate audit action if I consider this is appropriate.

I have written to the PCC/CC in similar terms.

Kind regards

*************

********, Audit

Grant Thornton UK LLP

D +44 (0)**** *** ****

M +44 (0)**** ******

T +44 (0)**** *** ****

E ***********************

grantthornton.co.uk

* ******* ******, **************

*****************

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Author: John Brace

New media journalist from Birkenhead, England who writes about Wirral Council. Published and promoted by John Brace, 134 Boundary Road, Bidston, CH43 7PH. Printed by UK Webhosting Ltd t/a Tsohost, 113-114 Buckingham Avenue, Slough, Berkshire, England, SL1 4PF.

4 thoughts on “Grant Thornton accepts as “eligible” objection to the 2020-21 accounts for Merseyside Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside”

    1. Thanks for your comment Paul.

      Hopefully not as long considering the timescales in the Code of Practice are that the auditor should use best endeavours to consider eligibility of an objection within a week, then whether or not to consider the objection within a month of that decision, then if the auditor considers the objection to consider it within 6 months of the consideration decision.

      So it should be a maximum of 7 months and a week Paul.

  1. Grant Thornton, the guard dog with no bark and no teeth, the dragon without fire in its mouth, the gamekeeper who fails to see the poacher in front of its nose.

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