±«Óătv

Annual Report and Accounts 2015/16

Each year the ±«Óătv reports to licence fee payers and audiences in the Annual Report and Accounts. The Annual Report and Accounts are formally laid in the UK Parliament, the Scottish Parliament, Northern Ireland Assembly, and Welsh Assembly in accordance with the requirements of the Charter. Usually this happens in July. They are also published on the ±«Óătv’s website.

The Annual Report includes two separate reports. Part 1 is the ±«Óătv Trust’s review and assessment of ±«Óătv performance during the year. Part 1 also includes information about the work of the Trust and the costs of running the Trust. Part 2 is the ±«Óătv Executive’s report on its own performance during the year.

The ±«Óătv’s financial statements are prepared by the ±«Óătv Executive and audited by independent auditors before being presented to the Trust and laid in Parliament.

Annual Report and Accounts 2015/16

The 2015/16 Annual Report and Accounts and the full financial statements are published on the ±«Óătv's Annual Report website:

±«Óătv Worldwide annual review

Audience Councils annual reviews

Each of the Trust's four Audience Councils publishes an annual review.

Purpose remit survey reports

These are the latest annual tracking reports on the ±«Óătv’s Public Purposes.  The Trust monitors the ±«Óătv’s performance to ensure the ±«Óătv provides value for money while staying true to its Public Purposes as set out in the Royal Charter.

±«Óătv workforce equality

Each year the ±«Óătv publishes information about equality and diversity, including its arrangements for promoting equal opportunities in the workplace.

The Trust's observations are published below.

Review of Freelancer and similar engagements 2015/16

In 2012, in response to public concern about the tax arrangements of freelancers engaged by the public sector, the ±«Óătv commissioned accountancy firm Deloitte to carry out a review of the way freelancers are paid. Deloitte found that there was a high standard of compliance and no evidence of tax avoidance but also made a number of recommendations to strengthen the framework governing employment status.  The review findings and the changes introduced by the ±«Óătv in response are set out here.

The Trust has been receiving regular updates from ±«Óătv Management on progress made and requested a follow up review from the ±«Óătv Executive to ensure the recommendations made in 2012 have been addressed.

The findings of this follow-up review are set out in the following report from the Executive to the Trust.  It is clear that the Executive has taken steps to improve its control environment for freelancer and similar engagements and we are satisfied that action has been taken to address the findings of the 2012 review.  We understand that the ±«Óătv is in on-going dialogue with HMRC to help ensure continued compliance in this complex and evolving area and the Trust will continue to receive regular updates on key developments.

±«Óătv staff training

As required by the ±«Óătv's Agreement, the Executive Board reports to the Trust annually on the current operation and effectiveness of the arrangements for the training and retraining of ±«Óătv staff. This commentary sets out the Trust's observations on the Executive's arrangements over the ±«Óătv's financial year ending at 31 March 2016.

Equality analysis

The Trust's equality analysis in relation to the production and publication of Part 1 of the Annual Report and Accounts for 2015/16 is available below.