Building Societies Act 1986

82 Auditors' duties to Commission and related rights

(1) The auditors of a building society shall, with respect to each financial year of the society, make to the Commission in accordance with subsection (5) below a report on the conduct of the business of the society during that year in the respects specified in subsection (2) below.

(2) The auditor's report shall deal with—

(a) the accounting records kept by the society under section 71,

(b) the systems of control of its business and records and of inspection and report maintained under that section, and

(c) the system of safe custody of documents maintained under section 12(12).

(3) The report shall state the auditors' opinion as respects the matters specified in subsection (2) above as follows, that is to say—

(a) as regards the accounting records of the society, whether or not they comply with the requirements of section 71 and, if not, specifying each requirement not complied with and the respects in which it was not complied with;

(b) as regards the system of control of its business and records, whether or not the system complies with the requirements of section 71 and, if not, specifying each requirement not complied with and the respects in which it was not complied with ;

(c) as regards the system of inspection and report, whether or not the system complies with the requirements of section 71 and, if not, specifying each requirement not complied with and the respects in which it was not complied with;

(d) as regards the system of safe custody of documents, whether or not the system complies with the requirement of section 12(12) and, if not, specifying the respects in which it was not complied with.

(4) Where the society had, at any time during the year to which the report relates, subsidiaries or other associated bodies linked by resolution, the auditors' report shall deal also with and contain corresponding statements of their opinion as to compliance with the requirements of section 71 in its application to building societies having subsidiaries or other associated bodies linked by resolution.

(5) The auditors of a building society shall send their report under this section to the society and, subject to subsection (6) below, shall do so within the period of 72 days beginning with the end of the financial year to which it relates, and the society shall, within the period of 90 days so beginning, send the report to the Commission together with such comments as the board of directors think fit to make.

(6) A building society may allow its auditors a longer period in which to send their report than that specified in subsection (5) above, but not so as to prevent the society from complying with the duty imposed on it by that subsection as regards the Commission.

(7) If the board of directors of a building society make any comments to the Commission under subsection (5) above they shall cause a copy of the comments to be sent to the auditors before they send them to the Commission with the report under that subsection.

(8) The auditors of a building society, if they are satisfied that it is expedient to do so in order to protect the investments of shareholders or depositors or if they are requested to do so by the Commission on its being so satisfied, shall be entitled, notwithstanding any obligation of confidence incumbent on them and whether or not to do so would be contrary to the interests of the society, to furnish information to the Commission relating to the conduct of the society's business or the business of any of its subsidiaries or other associated bodies.

(9) The Treasury may by order impose on the auditors of building societies an obligation to furnish to the Commission, in such circumstances as may be prescribed in the order, relevant information available to them of such descriptions as may be prescribed in the order; and it shall be the duty of any auditor to furnish information to which the obligation extends notwithstanding any obligation of confidence incumbent on him.

(10) The power to make an order under subsection (9) above is exercisable by statutory instrument but no such instrument shall be made unless a draft of it has been laid before and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

(11) In subsection (9) above "relevant information" means information relating to the conduct of the business of building societies or their subsidiaries or associated bodies.