Scottish Government consolidated accounts 2016 to 2017

Report of the Auditor General for Scotland to the Scottish Parliament

This report is made solely to the parties to whom it is addressed in accordance with the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 and for no other purpose. In accordance with paragraph 120 of the Code of Audit Practice, I do not undertake to have responsibilities to members or officers, in their individual capacities, or to third parties.

Report on the audit of the financial statements

Opinion on financial statements

I have audited the financial statements in the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2017 under the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000. The financial statements comprise the Summary of Resource Outturn, the Summary of Capital Outturn, the Summary of Total Outturn, the 11 Portfolio Outturn Statements, the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position, the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Net Expenditure and Changes in Taxpayer's Equity, the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, and the notes to the accounts, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and International Financial Reporting Standards ( IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union, and as interpreted and adapted by the 2016/17 Government Financial Reporting Manual (the 2016/17 FReM).

In my opinion the accompanying financial statements:

• give a true and fair view in accordance with the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 and directions made thereunder by the Scottish Ministers of the state of affairs of the Scottish Government and the consolidation of the entities within the departmental accounting boundary as at 31 March 2017 and of the net resource outturn and resources applied to objectives for the year then ended;
• have been properly prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union, as interpreted and adapted by the 2016/17 FReM; and
• have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 and directions made thereunder by the Scottish Ministers.

Basis of opinion

I conducted my audit in accordance with applicable law and International Standards on Auditing in the UK and Ireland ( ISAs ( UK&I)). My responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements section of my report. I am independent of the Scottish Government in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to my audit of the financial statements in the UK including the Financial Reporting Council’s Ethical Standards for Auditors, and I have fulfilled my other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. I believe that the audit evidence I have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for my opinion.

Responsibilities of the Principal Accountable Officer for the financial statements

As explained more fully in the Statement of the Principal Accountable Officer's Responsibilities, the Principal Accountable Officer is responsible for the preparation of financial statements that give a true and fair view in accordance with the financial reporting framework, and for such internal control as the Principal Accountable Officer determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

My responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements in accordance with applicable legal requirements and ISAs ( UK&I) as required by the Code of Audit Practice. Those standards require me to comply with the Financial Reporting Council’s Ethical Standards for Auditors. An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of: whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the circumstances of the Scottish Government and its consolidated entities and have been consistently applied and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the Principal Accountable Officer; and the overall presentation of the financial statements.

My objectives are to achieve reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes my opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs ( UK&I) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Other information in the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts

The Principal Accountable Officer is responsible for the other information in the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts. The other information comprises the information other than the financial statements and my auditor’s report thereon. My opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and I do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon except on certain matters to the extent explicitly stated later in this report.

In connection with my audit of the financial statements in accordance with ISAs ( UK&I), my responsibility is to read all the financial and non-financial information in the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts to identify material inconsistencies with the audited financial statements and to identify any information that is apparently materially incorrect based on, or materially inconsistent with, the knowledge acquired by me in the course of performing the audit. If I become aware of any apparent material misstatements or inconsistencies, I consider the implications for my report.

Report on regularity of expenditure and income

Opinion on regularity

In my opinion in all material respects:

• the expenditure and income in the financial statements were incurred or applied in accordance with any applicable enactments and guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers, the Budget (Scotland) Act covering the financial year and sections 4 to 7 of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000; and
• the sums paid out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund for the purpose of meeting the expenditure shown in the financial statements were applied in accordance with section 65 of the Scotland Act 1998.

Responsibilities for regularity

The Principal Accountable Officer is responsible for ensuring the regularity of expenditure and income. I am responsible for expressing an opinion on the regularity of expenditure and income in accordance with the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000.

Report on other requirements

Opinions on other prescribed matters

In my opinion, the auditable part of the Remuneration and Staff Report has been properly prepared in accordance with the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 and directions made thereunder by the Scottish Ministers.

In my opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

• the information given in the Performance Report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements and that report has been prepared in accordance with the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 and directions made thereunder by the Scottish Ministers; and
• the information given in the Governance Statement for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements and that report has been prepared in accordance with the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 and directions made thereunder by the Scottish Ministers.

Matters on which I report by exception

I report to you if, in my opinion:

• adequate accounting records have not been kept; or
• the financial statements and the auditable part of the Remuneration and Staff Report are not in agreement with the accounting records; or
• I have not received all the information and explanations I require for my audit.

I have nothing to report in respect of these matters.

Caroline Gardner
Auditor General for Scotland
102 West Port
Edinburgh
EH3 9DN

27 September 2017