Auditing: Stretching a Point

Date : 17 January 2002

To : The Editor, Accountancy Age

From : Nagindas Khajuria

Subject : Auditing

Auditing: Stretching a point

I read your article on Lord Sharman's review of central government accounting ('Sharman fights burial' page 2. 10 January).

I wonder whether wider investigator powers for the National Audit Office, including access to private sector bodies that receive public money, is feasible.

It would be more practical to ensure that public money is guarded better before it leaves the public purse.

The analogy I would like to draw is as follows. Suppose I want to touch my right ear lobe with my hand. I could touch it by raising my right hand. Alternatively, I could raise my left hand which would go over my head, and touch it with my left hand.