Public Bill Committee: 1 February 2011

36

Localism Bill, continued

(h)	publish the response.

(3)	In this section, an “accepted recommendation” means a recommendation

submitted to a person covered by subsections (2)(a), (b), (c) or (d), where the

requirements of subsections (2)(e), (f), (g) or (h) have been satisfied.

(4)	Subsection (2) will not apply where a recommendation is made which does not

relate to—

(a)	an issue for which the subject of that recommendation is responsible, and

(b)	an issue which does not affect the inhabitants of the area.

(5)	An overview and scrutiny committee may require updates to be provided on the

implementation of an accepted recommendation.

(6)	Where an overview and scrutiny committee proposes to exercise the powers in

subsection (5), this requirement must—

(a)	be set out at the time the recommendation is made under subsection (2),

(b)	indicate after what period of time an update, or updates, will be required,

and

(c)	specify the format in which the update is to be provided.

9FG	Statutory scrutiny officers

(1)	A local authority must designate one of its officers to discharge the functions in

subsection (2).

(2)	Those functions are:

(a)	to promote the role of overview and scrutiny within the locality,

(b)	to provide support to the authority’s scrutiny functions, and

(c)	to provide support and guidance to—

(i)	members of the authority,

(ii)	such persons who are not members of the authority but who sit

on an overview and scrutiny committee or committees,

(iii)

officers of the authority, and

(iv)	other designated persons,

in relation to the authority’s scrutiny function.

(3)	An officer designated by a local authority under this section is to be known as the

authority’s “statutory scrutiny officer”.

(4)	The local authority must provide the scrutiny officer with such staff,

accommodation and other resources as are, in the officer’s opinion, sufficient to

allow the officer to discharge the functions in subsection (2).

(5)	A local authority may not designate any of the following under this section:

(a)	the head of the authority’s paid service designated under section 4 of the

Local Government and Housing Act 1989,

(b)	the authority’s monitoring officer designated under section 5 of that Act,

or

(c)	the authority’s chief finance officer, within the meaning of that section.

9FH	Reference by a member of an authority to an overview and scrutiny

committee (councillor call for action)

(1)	The constitution of a local authority must include provision which enables any

member of an overview and scrutiny committee of the authority to refer to the

committee any matter which is relevant to the functions of the committee.

(2)	For the purposes of subsection (1), provision enables a person to refer a matter to

a committee or sub-committee if it enables the person to ensure that the matter is

included in the agenda for, and discussed at, a meeting of the committee or sub-

committee.

Public Bill Committee: 1 February 2011

37

Localism Bill, continued

(3)	The scrutiny function must develop and have regard to procedures (“councillor

call for action procedures”), which should be applied by the relevant scrutiny

committee, and which ensure that such provision referred to in subsections (1)

and (2) operate in an effective way. Such provisions should ensure that—

(a)	reference to committee or sub-committee occurs where other avenues for

resolution have been exhausted,

(b)	the matter affects all or part of the electoral area for which the member is

elected or any person who lives or works in that area,

(c)	the matter relates to the authority or a designated person, and

(d)	such a reference is not vexatious, persistent or discriminatory.

(4)	In reaching its decision under subsection (3), the committee or sub-committee

should also have regard to—

(a)	any powers which the member may exercise in relation to the matter by

virtue of section 236 of the Local Government and Public Involvement

in Health Act 2007 (exercise of functions by local councillors in

England),

(b)	any representations made by the member as to why it would be

appropriate for the committee or sub-committee to exercise any of its

powers under section 9F(2) and 9FB in relation to the matter, and

(c)	the powers under sections 9F and 9FB.

(5)	Where the committee proposes to refer a matter for discussion under subsections

(1) and (2) it may have recourse to its powers under sections 9F and 9FB.

9FI	Publication of reports, recommendations and responses — confidential and

exempt information

(1)	Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 shall have effect with regard to

overview and scrutiny committees.

(2)	Where publication would involve making public any confidential or exempt

information, a summary of the document or report shall be produced which omits

the information.

(3)	Where a witness at an overview and scrutiny committee is asked a question, the

answer to which would require them to provide information which would, if

published, be confidential or exempt, they will not be obliged to do so if the

committee is meeting in public.

(4)	In this section:

(a)	“confidential information” has the meaning given by section 100A(3) of

the Local Government Act 1972 (admission to meetings of principal

councils),

(b)	“exempt information” has the meaning given by—

(i)	section 100I of that Act, or in relation to a report or

recommendations of an overview and scrutiny committee,

(ii)	a resolution of the overview and scrutiny committee under

section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 which

applies to the proceedings, or part of the proceedings, at any

meeting of the overview and scrutiny committee at which the

report is, or recommendations are, considered, and

(iii)

section 246 of the National Health Service Act 2006.’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

2

Schedule  2,  page  191,  leave out lines 25 to 30 and insert—

Public Bill Committee: 1 February 2011

38

Localism Bill, continued

‘(1)	There is a presumption that meetings of a local authority executive, or a

committee of such an executive, are to be open to the public.

(2)	A local authority executive, or a committee of such an executive, may decide to

hold a meeting in private if it thinks that in all the circumstances it would be

inappropriate to hold that meeting in public.’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

3

Schedule  2,  page  191,  line  31,  leave out ‘prescribed’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

4

Schedule  2,  page  191,  line  34,  leave out ‘prescribed’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

5

Schedule  2,  page  191,  leave out lines 38 and 39.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

6

Schedule  2,  page  192,  leave out lines 23 to 28.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

7

Schedule  2,  page  194,  line  27,  leave out from beginning to end of line 39 on page

196.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

42

Schedule  2,  page  195,  line  22,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘must’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

8

Schedule  2,  page  196,  line  43,  leave out ‘or requiring’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

9

Schedule  2,  page  196,  line  43,  leave out ‘operating a mayor and cabinet executive’.

Public Bill Committee: 1 February 2011

39

Localism Bill, continued

Mr David Ward

66

Schedule  2,  page  196,  line  43,  leave out ‘operating a mayor and cabinet executive’

and insert ‘operating an executive form allowed under section 9C’.

Mr David Ward

67

Schedule  2,  page  196,  line  45,  leave out ‘elected mayor’ and insert ‘executive’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

10

Schedule  2,  page  196,  line  45,  at end insert ‘or elected leader’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

11

Schedule  2,  page  197,  line  1,  leave out ‘operating a mayor and cabinet executive’.

Mr David Ward

68

Schedule  2,  page  197,  line  1,  leave out ‘operating a mayor and cabinet executive’

and insert ‘operating an executive form allowed under section 9C’.

Mr David Ward

69

Schedule  2,  page  197,  line  3,  leave out ‘elected mayor’ and insert ‘executive’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

12

Schedule  2,  page  197,  line  4,  at end insert ‘or elected leader’.

Mr David Ward

70

Schedule  2,  page  197,  line  6,  leave out ‘elected mayors’ and insert ‘executives’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

13

Schedule  2,  page  197,  line  6,  after ‘mayors’, insert ‘or elected leaders’.

Mr David Ward

71

Schedule  2,  page  197,  line  17,  leave out ‘elected mayor’ and insert ‘executive’.

Public Bill Committee: 1 February 2011

40

Localism Bill, continued

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

14

Schedule  2,  page  197,  line  17,  after ‘mayor’, insert ‘or elected leader’.

Mr David Ward

72

Schedule  2,  page  197,  line  23,  leave out ‘elected mayor’ and insert ‘executive’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

65

Schedule  2,  page  197,  line  23,  after ‘mayor’, insert ‘or elected leader’.

Mr David Ward

73

Schedule  2,  page  198,  line  36,  leave out ‘elected mayor’ and insert ‘executive’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

15

Schedule  2,  page  198,  line  37,  after ‘mayor’, insert ‘or elected leader’.

Mr David Ward

74

Schedule  2,  page  198,  line  39,  leave out ‘elected mayor’ and insert ‘executive’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

16

Schedule  2,  page  198,  line  39,  after ‘mayor’, insert ‘or elected leader’.

Mr David Ward

75

Schedule  2,  page  198,  line  44,  leave out from ‘authority’ to ‘and’ in line 48.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

17

Schedule  2,  page  198,  line  45,  after ‘mayor’, insert ‘or elected leader’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

64

Schedule  2,  page  198,  leave out lines 46 to 48.

Public Bill Committee: 1 February 2011

41

Localism Bill, continued

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

18

Schedule  2,  page  198,  line  48,  after ‘mayor’, insert ‘or elected leader’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

43

Schedule  2,  page  199,  leave out lines 4 to 25.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

44

Schedule  2,  page  202,  leave out lines 19 and 20.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

19

Schedule  2,  page  204,  line  17,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘must’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

20

Schedule  2,  page  206,  leave out lines 29 to 31.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

21

Schedule  2,  page  210,  leave out lines 3 to 25.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

22

Schedule  2,  page  210,  leave out lines 26 to 47.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

23

Schedule  2,  page  212,  line  18,  leave out from beginning to end of line 31 on page

214.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

24

Schedule  2,  page  215,  leave out line 8.

Public Bill Committee: 1 February 2011

42

Localism Bill, continued

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

25

Schedule  2,  page  215,  leave out line 12.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

41

Clause  16,  page  15,  line  44,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘must’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

45

Clause  21,  page  18,  line  28,  after ‘statement’, insert ‘and a low pay policy

statement’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

46

Clause  21,  page  18,  line  31,  at end insert—

‘(2A)

A low pay policy statement for a financial year must set out the authority’s

policies for the financial year relating to the remuneration of its lowest paid

staff.’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

47

Clause  21,  page  18,  line  32,  leave out ‘The statement’ and insert ‘The senior pay

policy statement’.

Barbara Keeley

Alison Seabeck

Jack Dromey

48

Clause  21,  page  19,  line  3,  at end insert—

‘(5)	The low pay policy statement must include the authority’s policies relating to—

(a)	the lowest amount any employee of the authority is currently being paid,

(b)	the number of employees being paid at this level,

(c)	the number of employees paid 10 per cent. above this level,

(d)	the number of employees paid 20 per cent. above this level,

(e)	the minimum amount any employee will be paid, and

© Parliamentary copyright	Revised 1 February 2011