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CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY 
Audit Committee Meeting 26 August 2005 Paper 3 


CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY 

FOR DECISION 

Title: 2004/05 ACCOUNTS AND STATEMENT OF INTERNAL CONTROL 

Prepared by: DAVID CAMERON, HEAD OF CORPORATE SERVICES 


Purpose 

To present draft accounts for 2004/05 and to seek the Committee’s approval for the draft 
Statement of Internal Control set out in the accounts. 


Recommendations 

The Committee is requested to: 

1. Approve the draft Statement of Internal Control set out in the accounts for 2004/05; 

2. Note the draft accounts for 2004/05; 

3. Note that the timetable for issue of certified accounts for 2004/05 remains within the 
previously agreed target for completion, of end of October 2005. 


Executive Summary 

Draft accounts for the year ended 31 March 2005 have been prepared. External audit review 
of the accounts is also nearing completion and the process remains on target to meet the 
agreed, earlier deadline for issue of certified accounts by the end of October. As part of the 
process, the Audit Committee is required to approve the draft Statement of Internal Control 
included in the accounts in light of their experience of internal and external auditors’ reports, 
and of reports from the Authority’s management, brought to the Committee over the course 
of the year. 



2004/05 ACCOUNTS AND STATEMENT OF INTERNAL CONTROL 

Background 

1. At its meeting in December 2004, the Audit Committee considered the External 
Auditor’s Management Report on the audit of the accounts for 2003/04. One of two 
actions set out in that report was to bring forward the timetable for future years’ 
accounts closure, to allow completion of the external audit and submission of audited 
financial statements by the end of October. 

2. Accordingly, draft financial statements for 2004/05 were prepared in the Spring and 
initial fieldwork by Audit Scotland was undertaken in the week commencing 13 June. 
Final fieldwork on the accounts is to be undertaken during the week of 15 August. 

3. The current draft of the Authority’s accounts for 2004/05 is appended to this paper. 
Members of the Committee are asked to note that figures set out in the Appendix are 
subject to change following the final external audit fieldwork. 

4. The Authority’s officers have also taken the opportunity of this follow up fieldwork to 
put forward additional potential expenditure accruals to be built into the figures for 
2004/05. These have arisen from invoices for work undertaken in 2004/05 which were 
not submitted to the authority until after the original external audit review of the 
accounts had been undertaken in June, and hence had not been built into the original 
accruals figure. 


Statement of Internal Control 

5. Prior to finalising the external audit of the Authority’s accounts for the year ended 31 
March 2005, there is a requirement for the Committee to approve an Internal Control 
statement which forms part of the foreword to the financial reports for the year. A draft 
internal control statement is set out on page 7 of the Appendix. 

6. The Committee is requested to approve the Statement of Internal Control set out 
in the draft accounts for 2004/05. 


Future Action 

7. A verbal update of any matters arising from the external auditors’ fieldwork in August 
will be given to the Committee at its meeting. 

8. It is intended that the accounts will be signed by the Chief Executive and forwarded to 
Audit Scotland for inclusion of their audit certificate by 9 September. Certified 
accounts will be made available to the Sponsor Department and Auditor General by 30 
September. 


David Cameron 
August 2005 

davidcameron@cairngorms.co.uk