The Accounts Commission for Scotland has met and considered the Controller of Audit's report on the property sales investigation at Aberdeen City Council.

Given the arrangements already in place for a Hearing into the report by the Controller of Audit on the audit of Best Value and Community Planning in Aberdeen City Council, the Commission has decided to cover consideration of this report as part of that Hearing, due to take place on 13 and 14 May at Town & County Hall, Aberdeen.

Almost £300 million has been spent over the past six years on improving conditions in Scotland’s prisons but the number of places has stayed the same.

An Audit Scotland report published today, Managing increasing prisoner numbers in Scotland, confirms that prisoner numbers reached a record high of about 7,700 in April 2008. Because the number of places has remained largely unchanged in recent years 11 of Scotland’s 14 prisons are overcrowded and more than one-fifth of prisoners are sharing cells designed for one person.

Almost £10 million worth of fraud and errors have been identified following a national detection exercise by Audit Scotland working together with other public bodies.

The 2006/07 National Fraud Initiative (NFI) formed part of the audits of 74 participating bodies, including councils, police forces, fire and rescue services, health boards, the Scottish Public Pension Agency and the Student Award Agency for Scotland.

In its first report on Best Value at Falkirk Council, published today, the Accounts Commission for Scotland says the council shows good, solid performance with many characteristics of best value, while still having room for improvement in some areas.

In its first report on Best Value at North Lanarkshire Council, published today, the Accounts Commission for Scotland says the council shows a strong commitment to improvement, has a high level of performance and has the capacity and ability to make further improvements.

The Commission welcomes the council’s good strategic direction and pace of change, and says it has good leadership and clear vision. The Commission also highlights the council’s consultation with people who use its services and its well-developed arrangements for financial, asset and risk management.

The Accounts Commission for Scotland says Aberdeen City Council is facing extremely serious challenges and needs support to help make the changes needed.

Today’s findings are part of the council’s Best Value audit, and were compiled following the Commission’s public Hearing, held in Aberdeen two weeks ago (on 13 and 14 May).

In its first report on Best Value at Orkney Islands Council, published today, the Accounts Commission for Scotland says the council has good leadership and performs well in a number of areas.

Accounts Commission Chairman John Baillie said: “We welcome the extent of the council’s community engagement and its financial planning and sustainability and we acknowledge its level of self-awareness and culture of openness.”

In its first report on Best Value at Midlothian Council the Accounts Commission for Scotland says the council demonstrates effective engagement with communities and generally sound financial management but needs to do more before it is in a position fully to demonstrate Best Value and continuous improvement.

In the first report on Best Value at Aberdeenshire Council, published today, the Accounts Commission for Scotland welcomes the council’s decentralisation arrangements and devolved decision-making structure. It also highlights the council’s commitment to working with other bodies, its good service performance in a number of key areas and its sound traditional financial control.

The Scottish Government and the Parliament should be given better information before the key decisions are made about whether major public construction projects should go ahead.