The Accounts Commission said today it was seriously concerned about South Ayrshire Council’s lack of progress in addressing long term weaknesses.

Its findings are in response to a report from the Controller of Audit which found significant failings in strategic direction, leadership, performance management and scrutiny at the council.

The number of apprentices in Scotland has increased with more than 25,000 people starting training in each of the last two years, despite a challenging labour market, according to a report by Audit Scotland.

The report, published today, finds that Skills Development Scotland (SDS) manages modern apprenticeships well but there is a need to better understand the long-term benefits to establish whether they are value for money.

Councils need to keep an open mind in deciding how to best deliver services.

In its annual overview report published today, the Accounts Commission says councils need to look at other options to reduce costs in the longer term. Savings have been made in recent years largely by reductions in staff.

Councils have improved how they manage procurement but they can achieve further benefits and savings, says the Accounts Commission.

Every year Scotland's councils spend £5.4 billion (around £1010 for every person) on procurement - buying goods and services they need, ranging from construction materials to IT and social care. Procurement savings of £71 million were reported in 2012/13.

Glasgow Community Planning Partnership (CPP) has a clear sense of purpose and direction for tackling some of the city's deep-seated social and economic problems, according to the Accounts Commission.

Performance against the four-hour accident and emergency (A&E) waiting times target has deteriorated since Audit Scotland previously reported on A&E departments. The number of patients who waited longer than four hours increased from around 36,000 in 2008/09 to around 104,000 in 2012/13, although performance improved during 2013.

Significant improvements have been made in the running of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, says the Accounts Commission.

The Comhairle has been the subject of three Commission reports since 2006 relating to its statutory duty of Best Value and developing a culture of continuous improvement.

Falkirk Community Planning Partnership (CPP) needs to develop specific priorities and plans to convert its aspirations into improved outcomes for local people, says the Accounts Commission.

Public bodies have coped well so far with reduced budgets but need to focus more on priorities and develop longer-term financial plans.

Scotland's public finances: Progress in meeting the challenges, published today by the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission, provides an update on the financial position in the public sector.

Audit Scotland has published its annual review for the 2013/14 year. This is a web-only summary of our main annual report and accounts. The review highlights our audit work over the past year and includes case studies showing where our work has made an impact.