The Local Authorities (Committee System) (England) Regulations 2012

Type Statutory-Instrument
Publication 2012-03-30
State In force
Department Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament
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Made: 30th March 2012

Laid before Parliament: 10th April 2012

Coming into force: 4th May 2012

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 9J, 9JA and 105 of the Local Government Act 2000[^f00001] makes the following Regulations.

PART 1 — General

Citation and commencement

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Local Authorities (Committee System) (England) Regulations 2012 and come into force on 4th May 2012.

Interpretation

2

PART 2 — Discharge of functions

Functions to be discharged by the local authority

3

PART 3 — Overview and scrutiny: general provisions

Overview and scrutiny committees

4

with respect to the discharge of any functions of the local authority; and

on matters which affect the authority’s area or the inhabitants of that area.

Overview and scrutiny committees: supplementary provision

5

Reference of matters to overview and scrutiny committees

6

Duty of local authority to respond to overview and scrutiny committee

7

Confidential and exempt information

8

by an overview and scrutiny committee or a local authority.

it is nevertheless to be taken for the purposes of regulation 7(2) to have published the report or recommendations.

Relevant partner authorities: reports and recommendations

9

Scrutiny officers

10

in relation to the functions of the local authority’s overview and scrutiny committee or committees.

PART 4 — Overview and scrutiny committees: voting rights of co-opted members

Voting rights of co-opted members

11

Voting rights of co-opted members: publication of schemes

12

PART 5 — Overview and scrutiny: education functions

Church representatives

13

Parent governor representatives

14

Regulations 2 to 10 of the Parent Governor Representatives (England) Regulations 2001[^f00025] apply to a local authority which has appointed an education overview and scrutiny committee.

PART 6 — Revocation

Revocation

15

The Local Authorities (Alternative Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2001[^f00026] are revoked.

SCHEDULE — Plans and strategies specified for the purposes of regulation 3

Description of plan or strategy (1) Provision of Act under which plan or strategy is prepared (2)
Annual library plan Section 1(2) of the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964[^f00027]
Crime and disorder reduction strategy Sections 5 and 6 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998[^f00028]
Development plan documents Section 15 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004[^f00029]
Licensing authority policy statement Section 349 of the Gambling Act 2005[^f00030]
Local transport plan Section 108(3) of the Transport Act 2000[^f00031]
Plans and alterations which together comprise the Development Plan Part 2 of, and Schedule 8 to, the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004[^f00032]
Sustainable community strategy Section 4 of the 2000 Act[^f00033]
Youth justice plan Section 40 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998[^f00034]

Signed

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

Andrew Stunell — Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — Department for Communities and Local Government — 30th March 2012

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations apply to county councils in England, district councils and London borough councils which are operating the committee system under Part 1A of the Local Government Act 2000. Section 9B of the 2000 Act sets out the permitted forms of governance for local authorities in England and the committee system is one of the options. Section 9J allows the Secretary of State to prohibit the delegation of certain functions by committee system local authorities. Section 9JA permits committee system local authorities to establish one or more overview and scrutiny committees and empowers the Secretary of State to make provision, in regulations, about the functions, composition and procedure of such a committee.

Part 2 of these Regulations specifies the functions which cannot be delegated by a committee system local authority and therefore must be carried out by the full council of the authority. Parts 3 to 5 deal with overview and scrutiny committees within committee system local authorities.

Regulation 3 and the Schedule to the Regulations set out the functions which cannot be delegated to any officer, committee or sub-committee of the authority, except to the extent specifically mentioned in the regulation.

Regulations 4 and 5 make provision for overview and scrutiny committees in committee system local authorities which have resolved to have one or more such committee. These regulations largely reflect the position under sections 9F and 9FA of the Local Government Act 2000 which apply to local authorities operating executive arrangements.

Regulation 6 makes provision for dealing with references of matters to overview and scrutiny committees by members of the authority, including those who are not members of that overview and scrutiny committee.

Regulation 7 imposes a duty on local authorities to respond to reports and recommendations of overview and scrutiny committees and regulation 8 prevents the publication or supply of any information which contains confidential or exempt information by overview and scrutiny committees or the local authority.

Regulation 9 makes provision in relation to relevant partner authorities and regulation 10 imposes a duty on certain committee system local authorities to designate a scrutiny officer, where that authority has opted to appoint one or more overview and scrutiny committees.

Regulations 11 and 12 make provision for local authorities to produce voting schemes for co-opted members, and set out the publication requirements in relation to such schemes.

Regulation 13 provides for the representation of church nominees on education overview and scrutiny committees. Regulation 14 applies the Parent Governor Representatives (England) Regulations 2001 to committee system local authorities to allow for the representation of parent governors on education overview and scrutiny committees.

A full impact assessment has not been produced in relation to these Regulations as no impact on the private and voluntary sectors is foreseen.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2000 c.22. Sections 9J and 9JA were inserted into the Local Government Act 2000 by section 21 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Localism Act 2011 (c.20). Schedule 2 to the 2011 Act inserted a new Part 1A, applying to England only, into the 2000 Act. Section 105 was amended by section 100(3) of, and Schedule 3 to, the Local Government Act 2003 (c.26), and by section 191(5) of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (c.28); and paragraph 70 of Schedule 3 to the Localism Act 2011.

[^f00002]: 1972 c.70.

[^f00003]: 1989 c.42.

[^f00004]: 2006 c.48.

[^f00005]: 2007 c.28.

[^f00006]: Section 9FF was inserted into the 2000 Act by section 21 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Localism Act 2011.

[^f00007]: Section 101 was amended by section 30 of, and Schedule 10 to, the Health and Social Services and Social Security Adjudications Act 1983 (c.41); sections 84 and 102 of, and Schedules 14 and 17 to, the Local Government Act 1985 (c.51); the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1986 (c.12); section 237 of, and Schedule 13 to, the Education Reform Act 1988 (c.40); sections 45(5) and 194 of, and Schedule 12 to, the 1989 Act; section 307 of, and Schedules 19 and 21 to, the Education Act 1993 (c.35); section 93 of, and Schedule 9 to, the Police and Magistrates’ Courts Act 1994 (c.29); section 66(5) of, and Schedule 15 to, the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 (c.19); section 120 of, and Schedule 24 to, the Environment Act 1995 (c.25); section 332(1) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (c.29); section 198 of, and Schedule 6 to, the Licensing Act 2003 (c.17); section 64 of, and Schedule 5 to, the Children Act 2004 (c.31); section 209 of, and Schedule 6 to the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (c.28); section 224 of the Planning Act 2008 (c.29); section 119 of, and Schedule 6 to, the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (c.20); section 321 of, and Schedule 22 to, the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (c.23); section 99 of, and Schedule 16 to, the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c.13); section 22 of, and Schedule 3 to, the Localism Act 2011 (c.20); (in relation to England) S.I. 2001/1517; and S.I. 2009/1375.

[^f00008]: Section 18 was amended by section 43 of, and Schedule 4 to, the Police and Magistrates’ Courts Act 1994; section 582(1) of, and Schedule 37 to, the Education Act 1996 (c.56); section 99 of the Local Government Act 2000.

[^f00009]: 2009 c.20. Section 57 was amended by section 24 of the Localism Act 2011.

[^f00010]: Section 86 was amended by section 67(1) of, and Schedule 4 to, the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (c.20).

[^f00011]: 2006 c. 41. Section 245 was amended by section 127 of the 2007 Act; section 22 of, and Schedule 3 to, the Localism Act 2011.

[^f00012]: Section 123 was substituted by section 32(1) of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.

[^f00013]: Section 19 was amended by section 126 of the 2007 Act.

[^f00014]: Section 15 is modified by the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990 (S.I. 1990/1553), Regulation 16.

[^f00015]: Section 102(2) was amended (in relation to England) by S.I. 2001/1517; section 194 (1) of, and Schedule 11 to, the 1989 Act.

[^f00016]: Section 100A was inserted by section 1(1) of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 (c.43) and subsequently amended by S.I. 2002/715.

[^f00017]: Section 100I was inserted by section 1(1) of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, and subsequently amended by S.I. 2006/88.

[^f00018]: Section 244 was amended by section 121(4) of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (c.28); section 22 of, and Schedule 3 to, the Localism Act 2011.

[^f00019]: 1998 c.29.

[^f00020]: Section 4 was amended by section 119 of, and Schedule 6 to, the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.

[^f00021]: Section 5 was amended by section S.I. 2001/2237 (in relation to England); section 107 of, and Schedule 5 to, the 2000 Act; section 52 of, and Schedule 14 to, the Police and Justice Act 2006.

[^f00022]: Section 5(8) was amended by S.I. 2001/2237; section 132 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (c.29); section 321 of, and Schedule 22 to, the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (c.23).

[^f00023]: 1996 c.56. The definition of “education functions” in section 579(1) was inserted by S.I. 2010/1158.

[^f00024]: S.I. 2001/478. Regulations 4 to 6 were amended by S.I. 2010/1172.

[^f00025]: Regulation 2 was amended by S.I. 2010/1172 and S.I. 2003/2045. Regulations 3 to 9 inclusive were amended by S.I. 2010/1172.

[^f00026]: S.I. 2001/1299.

[^f00027]: 1964 c.75.

[^f00028]: 1998 c.37. Section 5 was amended by sections 97 and 107 of, and Schedule 8 to, the Police Reform Act 2002 (c.30); section 32 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (c.36); section 53 of, and Schedule 1 to, the Fire and Rescue Service Act 2004 (c.21); sections 21 and 22 of, and Schedule 9 to, the Police and Justice Act 2006 (c.48); S.I. 2007/961, and S.I. 2008/912. Section 6 was substituted by section 22 of, and Schedule 9 to, the Police and Justice Act 2006 and was amended by section 108 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009 (c.26).

[^f00029]: 2004 c.4. Section 15 was amended by section 30 of the Greater London Authority Act 2007 (c.24); section 180 of, and Schedule 13 to, the Planning Act 2008 (c.29) and by sections 111 and 237 of, and Schedule 25 to, the Localism Act 2011 (c.20).

[^f00030]: 2005 c.19.

[^f00031]: 2000 c.38. Section 108(3) was substituted by section 9 of the Local Transport Act 2008 (c.26).

[^f00032]: Part 2 was amended by section 7 of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (c.23); section 56 of, and Schedule 8 to, the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (c.17); section 180 of the Planning Act 2008 (c.29); sections 85, 142 and 146 of, and Schedule 5 to, the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (c.20).

[^f00033]: Section 4 was amended by sections 114 and 115 of the 2007 Act; section 7 of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (c.23); section 51 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009 (2009 No. 2); section 24 of the Child Poverty Act 2010 (c.9).

[^f00034]: 1998 c.37. Subsection (1) is disapplied in part in relation to England by S.I. 2005/157.

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