Documents

1. AGAR Form 2

Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2022 23 Uploaded on July 14, 2023

Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2022/23 Form 2
To be completed only by Local Councils, Internal Drainage Boards and other smaller
authorities* where the higher of gross income or gross expenditure was £25,000 or less,
that meet the qualifying criteria, and that wish to CERTIFY themselves as EXEMPT from
a limited assurance review
Guidance notes on completing Form 2 of the Annual Governance and
Accountability Return 2022/23
1. Every smaller authority in England where the higher of gross income or gross expenditure was £25,000
or less must, after the end of each financial year, complete Form 2 of the Annual Governance and
Accountability Return in accordance with Proper Practices, unless the authority:
a) does not meet the qualifying criteria for exemption; or
b) does not wish to certify itself as exempt
2. Smaller authorities where the higher of all gross annual income or gross annual expenditure does not
exceed £25,000 and that meet the qualifying criteria as set out in the Certificate of Exemption are able
to declare themselves exempt from sending the completed Annual Governance and Accountability
Return to the external auditor for a limited assurance review provided the authority completes:
a) The Certificate of Exemption, page 3 and returns a copy of it to the external auditor either by email
or by post (not both) no later than 30 June 2023. Failure to do so will result in reminder letter(s) for
which the Authority will be charged £40 +VAT for each letter; and
b) The Annual Governance and Accountability Return (Form 2) which is made up of:
• Annual Internal Audit Report (page 4) must be completed by the authority’s internal auditor.
• Section 1 – Annual Governance Statement (page 5) must be completed and approved by the authority.
• Section 2 – Accounting Statements (page 6) must be completed and approved by the authority.
NOTE: Authorities certifying themselves as exempt SHOULD NOT send the completed Annual
Governance and Accountability Return to the external auditor.
3. The authority must approve Section 1 Annual Governance Statement before approving Section 2
Accounting Statements and both must be approved and published on the authority website/webpage
before 1 July 2023.
Publication Requirements
Smaller authorities must publish various documents on a publicly available website as required by the
Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, the Local Audit (Smaller Authorities) Regulations 2015 and the
Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities. These include:
• Certificate of Exemption, page 3
• Annual Internal Audit Report 2022/23, page 4
• Section 1 – Annual Governance Statement 2022/23, page 5
• Section 2 – Accounting Statements 2022/23, page 6
• Analysis of variances
• Bank reconciliation
• Notice of the period for the exercise of public rights and other information required by Regulation 15 (2),
Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.
Limited Assurance Review
Any smaller authority may request a limited assurance review. If so, the authority should not certify itself as
exempt or complete the Certificate of Exemption. Instead it should complete Form 3 of the AGAR 2022/23
and return it to the external auditor together with the supporting documentation requested by the external
auditor. The cost to the authority for the review will be £210 +VAT.
Provided that the authority certifies itself as exempt, and completes and publishes the documents listed
under ‘Publication Requirements’, there is no requirement for the authority to have a review.
Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2022/23 Form 2 Page 1 of 6
Local Councils, Internal Drainage Boards and other Smaller Authorities
The Annual Governance and Accountability Return constitutes the annual return referred to in the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.
Throughout, the words ‘external auditor’ have the same meaning as the words ‘local auditor’ in the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.
*for a complete list of bodies that may be smaller authorities refer to schedule 2 to the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.
Page 2 of 6
Guidance notes on completing Form 2 of the Annual Governance and
Accountability Return (AGAR) 2022/23, Sections 1 and 2
• An authority that wishes to declare itself exempt from the requirement for a limited assurance review must
do so at a meeting of the authority after 31 March 2023. It should not submit its Annual Governance and
Accountability Return to the external auditor. However, as part of a more proportionate regime, the authority
must comply with the requirements of the Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities.
• The Certificate of Exemption must be returned to the external auditor no later than 30 June 2023. Reminder
letters will incur a charge of £40 +VAT for each letter.
• The authority must comply with Proper Practices in completing Sections 1 and 2 of this AGAR and the
Certificate of Exemption. Proper Practices are found in the Practitioners’ Guide* which is updated from
time to time and contains everything needed to prepare successfully for the financial year-end.
• The authority should receive and note the Annual Internal Audit Report before approving the Annual
Governance Statement and the accounts.
• The Annual Governance Statement (Section 1) must be approved on the same day or before the Accounting
Statements (Section 2) and evidenced by the agenda or minute references
• The Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) must certify the accounts (Section 2) before they are presented
to the authority for approval. The authority must in this order; consider, approve and sign the accounts.
• The RFO is required to commence the public rights period as soon as practical after the date of the
AGAR approval.
• Make sure that the AGAR is complete (no highlighted boxes left empty), and is properly signed and dated.
Any amendments must be approved by the authority and properly initialled.
• Use the checklist provided below to review the AGAR for completeness at the meeting at which it is signed off.
• You must inform your external auditor about any change of Clerk, Responsible Financial Officer or
Chairman, and provide relevant authority owned generic email addresses and telephone numbers.
• The authority must publish numerical and narrative explanations for significant variances in the accounting
statements on page 6. Guidance is provided in the Practitioners’ Guide* which may assist.
• Make sure that the accounting statements add up and the balance carried forward from the previous year
(Box 7 of 2022) equals the balance brought forward in the current year (Box 1 of 2023).
• The Responsible Financial Officer (RFO), on behalf of the authority, must set the commencement date for the
exercise of public rights of 30 consecutive working days which must include the first ten working days of July.
• The authority must publish, on the authority website/webpage, the information required by Regulation 15 (2),
Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, including the period for the exercise of public rights and the name and
address of the external auditor before 1 July 2023.
*Governance and Accountability for Smaller Authorities in England – a Practitioners’ Guide to Proper Practices,
can be downloaded from www.nalc.gov.uk or from www.ada.org.uk
Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2022/23 Form 2
Local Councils, Internal Drainage Boards and other Smaller Authorities
Completion checklist – ‘No’ answers mean you may not have met requirements
All sections
Section 1
Section 2
Sections 1 and 2
Internal Audit Report
Have all highlighted boxes have been completed?
For any statement to which the response is ‘no’, is an explanation available for publication?
Has an explanation of significant variations been published where required?
Has the bank reconciliation as at 31 March 2023 been reconciled to Box 8?
Is an explanation of any difference between Box 7 and Box 8 available, should
a question be raised by a local elector and/or an interested party?
Have all highlighted boxes been completed by the internal auditor and explanations provided?
Have the dates set for the period for the exercise of public rights been published?
Trust funds – have all disclosures been made if the authority as a body corporate is a
sole managing trustee? (Local Councils only)
Has the authority’s approval of the accounting statements been confirmed by
the signature of the Chairman of the approval meeting?
Yes No
Has the Responsible Financial Officer signed the accounting statements before
presentation to the authority for approval?
Certificate of Exemption – AGAR 2022/23 Form 2
To be completed by smaller authorities where the higher of gross income or gross expenditure
did not exceed £25,000 in the year of account ended 31 March 2023, and that wish to certify
themselves as exempt from a limited assurance review under Section 9 of the Local Audit
(Smaller Authorities) Regulations 2015
There is no requirement to have a limited assurance review or to submit an Annual Governance and
Accountability Return to the external auditor, provided that the authority has certified itself as exempt at a
meeting of the authority after 31 March 2023 and a completed Certificate of Exemption is submitted no later
than 30 June 2023 notifying the external auditor.
certifies that during the financial year 2022/23, the higher of the authority’s total gross income for the year or
total gross annual expenditure, for the year did not exceed £25,000
Total annual gross income for the authority 2022/23:
Total annual gross expenditure for the authority 2022/23:
There are certain circumstances in which an authority will be unable to certify itself as exempt, so that a limited
assurance review will still be required. If an authority is unable to confirm the statements below then it
cannot certify itself as exempt and it must submit the completed Annual Governance and Accountability Return
Form 3 to the external auditor to undertake a limited assurance review for which a fee of £210 +VAT will be payable.
By signing this Certificate of Exemption you are confirming that:
• The authority was in existence on 1st April 2019
• In relation to the preceding financial year (2021/22), the external auditor has not:
• issued a public interest report in respect of the authority or any entity connected with it
• made a statutory recommendation to the authority, relating to the authority or any entity connected with it
• issued an advisory notice under paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 8 to the Local Audit and Accountability Act
2014 (“the Act”), and has not withdrawn the notice
• commenced judicial review proceedings under section 31(1) of the Act
• made an application under section 28(1) of the Act for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful,
and the application has not been withdrawn nor has the court refused to make the declaration
• The court has not declared an item of account unlawful after a person made an appeal under section 28(3) of the Act.
If the above statements apply and the authority neither received gross income, nor incurred gross expenditure,
exceeding £25,000, then the Certificate of Exemption can be signed and a copy submitted to the external auditor
either by email or by post (not both).
The Annual Internal Audit Report, Annual Governance Statement, Accounting Statements, an analysis of
variances and the bank reconciliation plus the information required by Regulation 15 (2), Accounts and Audit
Regulations 2015 including the period for the exercise of public rights still need to be fully completed and,
along with a copy of this certificate, published on the authority website/webpage* before 1 July 2023.
Signing this certificate confirms the authority will comply with the publication requirements.
Page 3 of 6
ENTER NAME OF AUTHORITY
ENTER AMOUNT £00,000
ENTER AMOUNT £00,000
Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2022/23 Form 2
Local Councils, Internal Drainage Boards and other Smaller Authorities
ONLY this Certificate of Exemption should be returned EITHER by email OR by post (not
both) as soon as possible after certification to your external auditor, but no later than 30
June 2023. Reminder letters for late submission will incur a charge of £40 + VAT.
Telephone number
ENTER AUTHORITY OWNED GENERIC EMAIL ADDRESS TELEPHONE NUMBER
Generic email address of Authority
ENTER PUBLICLY AVAILABLE WEBSITE/WEBPAGE ADDRESS
*Published web address
Signed by the Responsible Financial Officer
SIGNATURE REQUIRED DD/MM/YYYY DD/MM/YYYY
Date
DD/MM/YYYY
Date
SIGNATURE REQUIRED
Signed by Chairman
I confirm that this Certificate of
Exemption was approved by this
authority on this date:
as recorded in minute reference:
MINUTE REFERENCE
Annual Internal Audit Report 2022/23
Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2022/23 Form 2 Page 4 of 6
Local Councils, Internal Drainage Boards and other Smaller Authorities
A. Appropriate accounting records have been properly kept throughout the financial year.
B. This authority complied with its financial regulations, payments were supported by invoices, all
expenditure was approved and VAT was appropriately accounted for.
C. This authority assessed the significant risks to achieving its objectives and reviewed the adequacy
of arrangements to manage these.
D. The precept or rates requirement resulted from an adequate budgetary process; progress against
the budget was regularly monitored; and reserves were appropriate.
E. Expected income was fully received, based on correct prices, properly recorded and promptly
banked; and VAT was appropriately accounted for.
F. Petty cash payments were properly supported by receipts, all petty cash expenditure was
approved and VAT appropriately accounted for.
G. Salaries to employees and allowances to members were paid in accordance with this authority’s
approvals, and PAYE and NI requirements were properly applied.
J. Accounting statements prepared during the year were prepared on the correct accounting basis
(receipts and payments or income and expenditure), agreed to the cash book, supported by an
adequate audit trail from underlying records and where appropriate debtors and creditors were
properly recorded.
N. The authority has complied with the publication requirements for 2021/22 AGAR
(see AGAR Page 1 Guidance Notes).
M. In the year covered by this AGAR, the authority correctly provided for a period for the exercise of
public rights as required by the Accounts and Audit Regulations (during the 2022-23 AGAR period,
were public rights in relation to the 2021-22 AGAR evidenced by a notice on the website and/or
authority approved minutes confirming the dates set).
H. Asset and investments registers were complete and accurate and properly maintained.
I. Periodic bank account reconciliations were properly carried out during the year.
K. If the authority certified itself as exempt from a limited assurance review in 2021/22, it met the
exemption criteria and correctly declared itself exempt. (If the authority had a limited assurance
review of its 2021/22 AGAR tick “not covered”)
Yes No*
Internal control objective Not
covered**
L. The authority published the required information on a website/webpage up to date at the time of
the internal audit in accordance with the relevant legislation.
O. (For local councils only)
Trust funds (including charitable) – The council met its responsibilities as a trustee.
Yes No Not applicable
During the financial year ended 31 March 2023, this authority’s internal auditor acting independently and on the
basis of an assessment of risk, carried out a selective assessment of compliance with the relevant procedures
and controls in operation and obtained appropriate evidence from the authority.
The internal audit for 2022/23 has been carried out in accordance with this authority’s needs and planned coverage.
On the basis of the findings in the areas examined, the internal audit conclusions are summarised in this table.
Set out below are the objectives of internal control and alongside are the internal audit conclusions on whether,
in all significant respects, the control objectives were being achieved throughout the financial year to a standard
adequate to meet the needs of this authority.
ENTER NAME OF AUTHORITY
ENTER PUBLICLY AVAILABLE WEBSITE/WEBPAGE ADDRESS
*If the response is ‘no’ please state the implications and action being taken to address any weakness in control identified
(add separate sheets if needed).
**Note: If the response is ‘not covered’ please state when the most recent internal audit work was done in this area and when it is
next planned; or, if coverage is not required, the annual internal audit report must explain why not (add separate sheets if needed).
For any other risk areas identified by this authority adequate controls existed (list any other risk areas on separate sheets if needed).
SIGNATURE REQUIRED DD/MM/YYYY
Date
Signature of person who
carried out the internal audit
DD/MM/YYYY DD/MM/YYYY DD/MM/YYYY
Date(s) internal audit undertaken Name of person who carried out the internal audit
ENTER NAME OF INTERNAL AUDITOR
Section 1 – Annual Governance Statement 2022/23
We acknowledge as the members of:
our responsibility for ensuring that there is a sound system of internal control, including arrangements for
the preparation of the Accounting Statements. We confirm, to the best of our knowledge and belief, with
respect to the Accounting Statements for the year ended 31 March 2023, that:
Page 5 of 6
1. We have put in place arrangements for effective financial
management during the year, and for the preparation of
the accounting statements.
2. We maintained an adequate system of internal control
including measures designed to prevent and detect fraud
and corruption and reviewed its effectiveness.
4. We provided proper opportunity during the year for
the exercise of electors’ rights in accordance with the
requirements of the Accounts and Audit Regulations.
5. We carried out an assessment of the risks facing this
authority and took appropriate steps to manage those
risks, including the introduction of internal controls and/or
external insurance cover where required.
6. We maintained throughout the year an adequate and
effective system of internal audit of the accounting
records and control systems.
7. We took appropriate action on all matters raised
in reports from internal and external audit.
8. We considered whether any litigation, liabilities or
commitments, events or transactions, occurring either
during or after the year-end, have a financial impact on
this authority and, where appropriate, have included them
in the accounting statements.
9. (For local councils only) Trust funds including
charitable. In our capacity as the sole managing
trustee we discharged our accountability
responsibilities for the fund(s)/assets, including
financial reporting and, if required, independent
examination or audit.
3. We took all reasonable steps to assure ourselves
that there are no matters of actual or potential
non-compliance with laws, regulations and Proper
Practices that could have a significant financial effect
on the ability of this authority to conduct its
business or manage its finances.
prepared its accounting statements in accordance
with the Accounts and Audit Regulations.
Yes No ‘Yes’ means that this authority:
Agreed
made proper arrangements and accepted responsibility
for safeguarding the public money and resources in
its charge.
has only done what it has the legal power to do and has
complied with Proper Practices in doing so.
during the year gave all persons interested the opportunity to
inspect and ask questions about this authority’s accounts.
considered and documented the financial and other risks it
faces and dealt with them properly.
arranged for a competent person, independent of the financial
controls and procedures, to give an objective view on whether
internal controls meet the needs of this smaller authority.
responded to matters brought to its attention by internal and
external audit.
disclosed everything it should have about its business activity
during the year including events taking place after the year
end if relevant.
has met all of its responsibilities where as a body
corporate it is a sole managing trustee of a local trust
or trusts.
Yes No N/A
Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2022/23 Form 2
Local Councils, Internal Drainage Boards and other Smaller Authorities
Signed by the Chairman and Clerk of the meeting where
approval was given:
Chairman
Clerk SIGNATURE REQUIRED
SIGNATURE REQUIRED
This Annual Governance Statement was approved at a
meeting of the authority on:
and recorded as minute reference:
MINUTE REFERENCE
DD/MM/YYYY
*For any statement to which the response is ‘no’, an explanation must be published
ENTER NAME OF AUTHORITY
ENTER PUBLICLY AVAILABLE WEBSITE/WEBPAGE ADDRESS
The authority website/webpage is up to date and the information required by the Transparency Code has
been published.
Yes No
Information required by the Transparency Code (not part of the Annual Governance Statement)
Section 2 – Accounting Statements 2022/23 for
Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2022/23 Form 2 Page 6 of 6
Local Councils, Internal Drainage Boards and other Smaller Authorities
I certify that for the year ended 31 March 2023 the Accounting
Statements in this Annual Governance and Accountability
Return have been prepared on either a receipts and
payments or income and expenditure basis following the
guidance in Governance and Accountability for Smaller
Authorities – a Practitioners’ Guide to Proper Practices
and present fairly the financial position of this authority.
I confirm that these Accounting Statements were
approved by this authority on this date:
Signed by Chairman of the meeting where the
Accounting Statements were approved
Signed by Responsible Financial Officer before being
presented to the authority for approval
as recorded in minute reference:
MINUTE REFERENCE
DD/MM/YYYY
DD/MM/YYYY
SIGNATURE REQUIRED
SIGNATURE REQUIRED
Date
8. Total value of cash and
short term investments
9. Total fixed assets plus
long term investments
and assets
10. Total borrowings
The sum of all current and deposit bank accounts, cash
holdings and short term investments held as at 31 March –
To agree with bank reconciliation.
The value of all the property the authority owns – it is made
up of all its fixed assets and long term investments as at
31 March.
The outstanding capital balance as at 31 March of all loans
from third parties (including PWLB).
1. Balances brought
forward
2. (+) Precept or Rates and
Levies
4. (-) Staff costs
5. (-) Loan interest/capital
repayments
6. (-) All other payments
7. (=) Balances carried
forward
3. (+) Total other receipts
Total balances and reserves at the beginning of the year
as recorded in the financial records. Value must agree to
Box 7 of previous year.
Please round all figures to nearest £1. Do not leave any
boxes blank and report £0 or Nil balances. All figures must
agree to underlying financial records.
Year ending Notes and guidance
31 March
2022
£
31 March
2023
£
Total amount of precept (or for IDBs rates and levies)
received or receivable in the year. Exclude any grants
received.
Total income or receipts as recorded in the cashbook less
the precept or rates/levies received (line 2). Include any
grants received.
Total expenditure or payments made to and on behalf
of all employees. Include gross salaries and wages,
employers NI contributions, employers pension
contributions, gratuities and severance payments.
Total expenditure or payments of capital and interest
made during the year on the authority’s borrowings (if any).
Total expenditure or payments as recorded in the cashbook less staff costs (line 4) and loan interest/capital
repayments (line 5).
Total balances and reserves at the end of the year. Must
equal (1+2+3) – (4+5+6).
ENTER NAME OF AUTHORITY
11a. Disclosure note re Trust funds
(including charitable)
The Council, as a body corporate, acts as sole trustee and
is responsible for managing Trust funds or assets.
Yes No N/A
11b. Disclosure note re Trust funds
(including charitable)
The figures in the accounting statements above do not
include any Trust transactions.
For Local Councils Only