The Accounts Commission and the Improvement Service have confirmed a formal collaboration focused on accelerating the improvement and pace of change in local government services. There will be a strong focus on driving change and improvement on the key pressures councils are facing: the impact of Covid-19, escalating service demand and financial constraints.

Both organisations will maximise the impact of their unique roles in supporting local government in Scotland.

This includes:

I am pleased to announce that we will proceed with the tendering process this year and we will be inviting audit firms to bid for work this autumn. This decision has been made possible, in part, because we have seen the completion of all of the 2019/20 financial audits this year; a real achievement in such difficult circumstances.

Alan Alexander, Chair of the Audit Scotland Board

Progress on closing the poverty-related attainment gap between the most and least deprived school pupils has been limited. And more evidence is needed to understand educational achievement beyond exams.

A joint report by the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission found that exam performance and other attainment measures at the national level have improved. However, progress since 2013-14 has been inconsistent. And there are large variations in local authority performance, with some councils' performance getting worse on some measures.

Antony Clark has been appointed the interim Controller of Audit and Audit Scotland’s interim Director of Performance Audit and Best Value (PABV).

Mr Clark will succeed Fraser McKinlay, who has stepped down after ten years as Controller and seven as Director of PABV.