Audits provide essential accountability and transparency over government programs. Given the current challenges facing governments and their programs, the oversight provided through auditing is more critical than ever. Government auditing provides the objective analysis and information needed to make the decisions necessary to help create a better future. The professional standards presented in this 2018 revision of Government Auditing Standards (known as the Yellow Book) provide a framework for performing high-quality audit work with competence, integrity, objectivity, and independence to provide accountability and to help improve government operations and services. These standards, commonly referred to as generally accepted government auditing standards (GAGAS), provide the foundation for government auditors to lead by example in the areas of independence, transparency, accountability, and quality through the audit process. This revision contains major changes from, and supersedes, the 2011 revision.

This report to Parliament summarises the results of financial audit work undertaken on behalf of the Comptroller and Auditor General in 2006, on the 2005-06 accounts of United Kingdom central government bodies and highlights key issues arising from that work. The Comptroller and Auditor General is the appointed auditor of all United Kingdom central government departments, executive agencies, and a wide range of other public bodies. In total, the Comptroller and Auditor General audits approximately 470 accounts per year, incorporating total expenditure and revenue of approximately £800 billion. In reporting the results of audit examinations, this report focuses upon the Comptroller and Auditor General's audits of the receipts of revenue and of public debt and reserves, as well as commenting upon the quality and timeliness of financial reporting and the other information accompanying the financial statements of the spending departments, their agencies and non-departmental public bodies. It also discusses the reporting of significant losses by departments and progress towards the future compilation of the whole of government accounts.

The Comptroller and Auditor General is Parliament's independent auditor who examines and certifies the accounts of government departments, executive agencies, and other organisations. This report summarises the results of financial audit work undertaken by the National Audit Office from February 2002 to January 2003 and considers regarding: financial management and reporting; resource accounting and resource-based Parliamentary Supply; corporate governance; audits of revenue receipts and public debt and reserves.