CIPFA has criticised government plans for overhauling the framework for local public audits, announced in the Queen's Speech, saying they risk reducing local accountability.

The institute's main concern regarding the draft Local Audit and Accountability bill is that it does not take into account the wider scope of public audit.

Under the new structure, the Audit Commission will be abolished and public sector audits have already been outsourced to private firms, including PwC, Grant Thornton and Mazars, with the National Audit Office given a supervisory role.

CIPFA says the proposals fail to make provision for regularity, propriety, probity and value for money to be considered as well as providing the audit opinion on the financial statements.

Ian Carruthers, CIPFA's director of policy said: 'Although the bill does provide some clarity on the future shape of local public audit in England, one of its worrying features is that the wider scope of public audit is not strongly embedded, an omission which might actually serve to weaken rather than strengthen public accountability.'