S22 Scottish Canals 2020/21 - Auditor General Video Script

It’s very unusual for an auditor to disclaim their opinion on a public body’s annual report and accounts.
But that’s what’s happened this year with Scottish Canals’ accounts, the public body responsible for managing Scotland’s inland waterways.
The auditor couldn’t obtain enough evidence to give an opinion on the accounts.
This relates to flaws in the way Scottish Canals valued and recorded £51 million of assets, such as dredging equipment and lock gates. 
There were also issues with their fixed assets register.
Scottish Canals now needs to revalue its entire canal infrastructure estate – a big piece of work - but necessary to support financial planning and to ensure it is robustly managing its assets.
ENDS