Inspections are designed to encourage the improvement of local services. They are planned and carried out with the aim of maximising the effect of our activities while minimising the administrative impact on the organisations we inspect.
Inspection is one of the means by which the Commission delivers its strategic objectives.
Audit Commission inspections are undertaken by inspection teams. Under section 10 of the Local Government Act 1999, the Audit Commission has been able to carry out inspections of an English best value authority’s compliance with Part 1 of that Act. Part 1 includes (among other things) the duty on best value authorities to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way their functions are exercised, having regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness. The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 has expanded the Audit Commission’s powers to be able to inspect a best value authority’s performance of its functions or any particular function.
‘Best value authorities’ in England are:
- local authorities;
- national park authorities;
- the Broads Authority;
- police authorities;
- fire authorities constituted by a combination scheme, metropolitan county fire and civil defence authorities, and fire and rescue authorities constituted under the Fire and Rescue Service Act 2004;
- waste disposal authorities;
- metropolitan county passenger transport authorities; and
- the Greater London Authority, the London Development Agency, Transport for London, and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.
If you have any questions about our inspection work, please complete our enquiry form.