Advocacy Round-up: October 2025

At the Chartered IIA, advocating for the internal audit profession is at the heart of what we do. From influencing government policy to shaping regulatory frameworks, our policy and public affairs team works tirelessly to ensure internal audit has a strong voice where it matters most. In this update, we share some of the key ways we’ve been championing the profession in recent months—and what’s coming next.

 

Advocating for internal audit in the broadband sector
In August, we sent an open letter to the CEO of Ofcom,  urging the regulator to introduce a clear regulatory expectation for broadband companies to have an internal audit function.

Research by the Chartered IIA revealed that almost half of the UK’s major broadband providers (six out of the top thirteen) do not have internal audit.

This is surprising given the critical role broadband companies play in supporting the UK’s digital economy. It raises concerns that boards and senior management may not be receiving adequate assurance on business-critical risks, including digital and cyber threats—particularly worrying in the current cyber-threat environment.

We met with senior leaders from Ofcom to discuss these concerns and continue to engage with them. In addition, we have worked with Mary Glindon MP’s office to table a series of Parliamentary Questions for Ministers at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) on the issues we raised.

Since our letter, DSIT has launched a consultation on the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice. While the Code includes a section on governance, it does not currently reflect the critical role internal audit can play in providing assurance around telecommunications security risks. We are advocating for this gap to be addressed as part of the review.

 

66 MPs and Peers sign Chartered IIA letter urging PM to prioritise audit reform

In September, we sent an open letter to the Prime Minister signed by 66 MPs and Peers from eight political parties across the UK, urging the Government to prioritise the long-overdue Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill—promised in last year’s King’s Speech but still unpublished.

The Chartered IIA coordinated this cross-party letter after it emerged in July that the draft Bill had been delayed yet again.

We have also circulated an updated version of our Parliamentary Briefing to MPs and Peers on why we need an Audit Reform Bill. 

 

Strengthening internal audit requirements for major government contractors

Following a letter we sent to the Business Secretary last November raising concerns about the collapse of ISG and its lack of an internal audit function, we have been engaging with the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and the Cabinet Office regarding the Construction Playbook Guidance.

In September, we led a small delegation of senior internal audit executives from the construction sector to meet with senior officials from the CCS and the Cabinet Office. Our aim: to highlight the critical role of internal audit and advocate for the Construction Playbook Guidance to be updated to include internal audit requirements.

 

Strengthening internal audit in local government

In September, we met with senior officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to learn more about their plans for local audit reform, including strengthening internal audit in smaller local authorities.

This follows our earlier response to the Local Audit Reform consultation. We also used the meeting to highlight severe resource constraints facing internal audit functions in larger local authorities, based on research we conducted last year. Further meetings with officials are planned later this year.

Pre-Budget Submission: Driving Growth and Public Sector Efficiencies with Internal Audit  

We recently submitted our Pre-Budget Submission for the Autumn Budget. We are calling on the Government to use the budget to invest in skills to boost productivity, make a clear commitment to delivering audit and corporate governance reform to support economic stability and ensure appropriate investment in public sector internal audit. We believe these measures will help to drive economic growth and public sector efficiencies.

Advocacy in the pipeline

Looking ahead, we have a strong pipeline of advocacy activities, including:      

  •           Response to the Department for Business and Trade consultation on tackling late payments, which proposes greater oversight for Audit Committees. While we broadly support the proposals, we are highlighting the critical role of internal audit in providing independent assurance around payment practices, governance, and reporting.
  •           Response to the Public Accounts Committee Inquiry on the government’s use of data analytics, showcasing how internal audit functions across the public sector are increasingly harnessing data analytics to improve the quality and coverage of their reporting.

If you are interested in learning more about our policy, public affairs and advocacy work, then please get in touch.

       


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