The principal role of External Audit is to verify that the statutory accounts of the Council are accurate, that legal and corporate governance arrangements are adequate, that grants received from central government have been spent properly and that the Council's performance in delivering local services is effective.  External Audit of the Council is undertaken by the Audit Commission. Internal Audit also has its basis in statute. It is a service created alongside but operated independently of the other services and resources deployed by the Council. Internal Audit looks at the key risks facing the Council and evaluates what is being done to manage those risks effectively. This requires a high degree of independence of the services under review and this is preserved by the reporting structure Internal Audit has within the Council.   Internal and External Audit work closely and regularly undertake audits jointly in order to ensure that resources are managed efficiently, economically and effectively.