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Statutory audit services. The Audit Commission (the "Commission") has a duty to appoint auditors under Section 3 of the Audit Commission Act 1998 (the Act) to audit the accounts of those bodies referred to in Schedule 2 of the Act ("audited bodies"). The Commission has awarded contracts for each of ten areas in England, through which the Commission will appoint service providers to carry out audit and related services in respect of audited bodies. About 700 audited bodies in England are currently within the scope of the contracts. The scope also includes appointments to NHS charities under section 43A of the Charities Act 1993 and (subject to legislation being considered by Parliament) audits of the proposed NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups, Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables in England. The audit of accounts of probation trusts following the legislative changes will transfer to the Comptroller and Auditor General before the first appointments under the contracts are made. Those audited bodies falling within Schedule 2 of the Act (and so within scope of the contracts) may also be subject to further changes during the life of the contracts. The scope of the work required as an appointed auditor may include: exercising the independent statutory responsibilities and powers of appointed auditors under the Audit Commission Act 1998, the Charities Act 1993 and the Commission's statutory Codes of Audit Practice and certifying on the Commission's behalf claims and returns for grants and subsidies paid to audited bodies by central government departments. The main responsibilities of appointed auditors under these contracts will be to review and report on the financial statements of audited bodies in England and whether those bodies have made proper arrangements to ensure economy, efficiency and effectiveness in their use of resources. Copies of the relevant Acts of Parliament and Statutory Instruments governing the work of the Commission are available in their original versions from the Office of Public Sector Information (www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation). A version of the Audit Commission Act 1998 showing amendments to date is available commercially.