Audit regulation

Audit Reform; ShareSoc & UKSA joint response to BEIS Consultation

ShareSoc and the UK Shareholders Association made a joint submission  in a massive 77 page response to the BEIS consultation "Restoring trust in audit and corporate governance". Our full consultation response is here: BEIS-Restoring-trust-in-audit-and-corporate-governance-Joint-response-from-UKSA-and-ShareSoc-1-July-2021 The FCA consultation document can be read here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/970673/restoring-trust-in-audit-and-corporate-governance-command-paper.pdf Key Points: Stakeholder and wider public trust in the credibility of directors’ reporting and the statutory audit has been shaken by a succession of sudden and major corporate collapses which have caused serious economic and social damage. We consider that these collapses ...

FRC webinars re audit reform

Following publication of the Government’s consultation Restoring trust in audit and corporate governance the FRC will be hosting a series of webinars and roundtables to provide further insight on key aspects of the consultation and to provide interested stakeholders with an opportunity to share their views and comment on the government’s proposals.   Further details about how to participate in the FRC’s extensive engagement programme is available here. The FRC have organised a series of webinars for those interested in the Government's latest consultation ...

FRC: Individual Shareholders Engagement Meeting 5 Nov 2019

This was an excellent event, well organised by the FRC with about 80 attendees from ShareSoc and the UK Shareholders’ Association. It is very reassuring to hear the underlying...

Response to Market Study on Statutory Audit Services

Response to Initial Consultation on Recommendations by the Competition and Markets Authority Peter Parry and Cliff Weight have written a joint response on behalf of the UK Shareholders’ Association (UKSA) and the UK Individual Shareholders’ Society (ShareSoc). This has been submitted to the CMA. We made these key points: There are a few important and overarching issues which we believe need to be stated: Limitations of the CMA’s remit; the CMA was tasked with looking at the audit market and, in particular, considering ...

UKSA-ShareSoc joint response to Brydon Review of Audit

UKSA-ShareSoc submitted a joint response to the Brydon REVIEW INTO THE QUALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF AUDIT  We said a fresh approach was needed. Many of the questions in the Review overtly or implicitly prompt debate about how the external audit can be made more robust and more relevant in future. Underlying this is a requirement to find ways of making auditors more accountable to those they are meant to be serving – namely the shareholders. Our view is that this cannot be achieved ...

Auditor appointments: ShareSoc+UKSA write to Minister Greg Clark

Today 18 Feb 2019, ShareSoc & UKSA have written to The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. We made three key points: Appointment of auditors by a third party with the relevant skills and expertise would, once and for all, break the current link of excessive dependency between auditors and those they audit. If, on a trial basis, the Regulator started by managing the appointment of auditors for FTSE 100 companies this would ...

Auditor Regulation and the dozy watchdogs

The Government has published a public consultation on Auditor Regulation. This is a discussion document in response to the requirements of a new European Directive on Audit, and your responses are invited. It's available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/auditor-regulation-effects-of-the-eu-and-wider-reforms although those who do not have a professional interest in the subject may find it heavy going. But it's worth repeating the first paragraph which is: "Effective financial reporting underpins the development of the best businesses - those that others are willing to invest in and ...