The Audit Panel of the Greater London Authority Council is scheduled to meet on Thursday 19 March 2026. The meeting will review internal audit reports, the corporate risk register, and declarations of interest.

Internal Audit Reports and the GLA Internal Audit Plan 2026-27

A significant portion of the meeting is dedicated to reviewing recent internal audit reports. The panel is expected to note the contents of these reports, which cover a range of areas including the GLA Internal Audit Progress Report, the Draft GLA Internal Audit Plan for 2026-27, and follow-up reports on the Royal Docks and External Relations. Additionally, the panel will consider approving the Draft GLA Internal Audit Plan for the upcoming year. The internal audit function is provided by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) Directorate of Audit, Risk and Assurance (DARA). The reports detail assurance levels awarded for each audit, with categories ranging from Substantial Assurance to No Assurance, indicating the effectiveness of risk management and control environments. The internal audit plan for 2026/27 outlines a risk-based approach, focusing on areas key to achieving GLA priorities and objectives, with a total of 409 days allocated for audit work, including contingency for fraud investigations.

Corporate Risk Register

The panel will review the Greater London Authority's (GLA) Corporate Risk Register (CRR) as a standing item. The CRR is updated every six months, and this meeting will consider the spring 2026 iteration. The report highlights changes to the register, including an increase in the probability and overall scores for Financial resilience (Risk 2) due to the concentration of risk in regeneration schemes. It also notes a decrease in residual risk scores for Partnership structures & relationships (Risk 9) due to greater clarity on spending settlements. The panel is asked to note the register and identify any points for officers to consider ahead of the next refresh.

Monitoring of Expenses and Taxable Benefits

The meeting will also review the taxable benefits and expenses incurred by the Mayor, London Assembly Members, and Senior Staff between 1 April 2025 and 31 January 2026. This report aims to ensure transparency and accountability to Londoners. For Assembly Members, taxable benefits primarily relate to annual six-zone travel cards, totalling £29,648 paid to ten members during the period. Business expenses for the Mayor and Assembly Members amounted to £10,205, while senior staff expenses totalled £60,902. The report details expenses for taxis, domestic and foreign travel, hotels, and other miscellaneous costs, noting that mobile devices and working from home equipment costs are not included. An exception to the Expenses and Benefits Framework was approved for a staff member regarding hotel and travel bookings not made through the corporate travel system.

Declarations of Interests, Gifts, and Hospitality

The panel will address declarations of interests, including noting the list of offices held by Assembly Members as disclosable pecuniary interests. It will also consider any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in specific agenda items and other relevant interests, including gifts and hospitality. The report on gifts and hospitality for the Mayor of London and London Assembly Members covers the period from 1 October 2025 to 28 February 2026, noting 42 declarations in total, an increase from the previous reporting period. The Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, made 12 declarations, and 15 Assembly Members made 30 declarations. The report also covers gifts and hospitality received by GLA staff during the same period, with 178 declarations made in total. This includes 97 declarations from staff directly appointed by the Mayor and 21 from senior staff appointed by the Head of Paid Service.

Annual Report on Complaints about Elected Members

The Monitoring Officer will present an annual report on complaints handled regarding the Mayor of London and Members of the London Assembly. Since March 2025, seven formal complaints have been received regarding the Mayor, with four closed after initial assessment, one not taken forward due to complainant's request for anonymity, and two pending assessment. Eight formal complaints were received regarding Assembly Members, with five closed after initial assessment and three resolved informally. The report also clarifies the GLA's Standards regime, which delegates complaint-handling functions to the Monitoring Officer, with the assistance of two Independent Persons.

Date of Next Meeting

The date of the next meeting will be determined by the London Assembly's Annual Meeting in May 2026, which will establish committees and their timetables for the 2026/27 Assembly Year.