I quote from CIFRA, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy; an essential professional qualification for all Chief Operating Officers in public service:

“As the amount of public funding which LEPs are responsible for increases the role of the section 151 officer gains greater prominence in the LEP assurance model.
When a local authority or combined authority acts as the accountable body for a local enterprise partnership, the role of the relevant section 151 officer in overseeing the proper administration of financial affairs is extended to include those of the local enterprise partnership. It is important that the roles and responsibilities of all key stakeholders are transparent and clearly communicated.

Although effective partnership and strong collaborative working underpin many LEP and Local authority relationships. The Mary Ney Review into LEP governance and transparency recommended that additional clarity was needed on the expectations of the role of the section 151 officer and the substance of how LEPs need to work with that role.”