Exeter City Council has published its unaudited accounts for the 2022-23 financial year, marking the beginning of a six-week period during which local residents, journalists and other interested persons have special access rights to information related to the figures they contain.
During this period the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014, Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 and the Local Audit (Access to Documents) Act 2017 confer the right to examine and copy records related to the transactions recorded in the accounts.
Until 12 October the council must grant access to bills, invoices, receipts, deeds, property transactions, books and contracts related to the 2022-23 statement of accounts, with some exceptions related to commercially confidential or personally identifying information.
Local electors possess the additional right to ask the council and its external auditor questions about the accounts, to raise objections about the accounts with the auditor and to request investigation of specific matters of concern during this period each year.
The National Audit Office publishes a guide to these rights.
The 2022-23 accounts and related documents are available for inspection at the council’s Paris Street offices from 9am-2pm Monday to Friday and can also be requested electronically.
More details are provided by the city council’s Notice of Public Rights at Audit. Previous years’ accounts are also available on its website.
