'Rotation of audit partners will, in our opinion, increase costs without increasing benefits either actual or perceived.'

He was an audit partner at the accounting firm of Arthur Andersen & Company from 1971 to 1978.

"The audit partners don't always want the consulting side to do the job," he said, "because they're worried of problems and a black mark."

"If the audit partner who's on the Enron account lost that account, they were history."

The profession should draw up guidelines on rotating audit partners.

There has always been nervousness, and there still is, among audit partners about pro-active search work.

Normally it is necessary to clear this through audit partners - the latter may however be able to provide useful contacts.

The second proposes that firms should be required to change audit partners at least every seven years for listed and other public interest companies.

In fact, the longest continuing presence is often the audit partner.

A better solution may well be to pick up the idea of rotating the audit partner every five to 10 years.