Greater London Authority Bill

Greater London Authority Bill - continued	House of Lords
PART II, GENERAL FUNCTIONS AND PROCEDURE - continued

back to previous text

Staff

Appointment.

56. - (1) The Mayor may appoint-

(a) not more than two persons as his political advisers; and

(b) not more than ten other members of staff.

(2) The Assembly, having taken into account-

(a) the powers conferred on the Mayor by subsection (1) above, and

(b) any views of the Mayor as to the exercise of the Assembly's powers under this subsection,

may appoint such staff as it considers necessary for assisting the Mayor and the Assembly in the discharge of their functions.

(3) Any appointment under subsection (1) or (2) above is an appointment as an employee of the Authority.

(4) No appointment under subsection (1) above shall be such as to extend beyond the term of office for which the Mayor was elected.

(5) Where the Mayor makes an appointment under subsection (1) above, he shall report to the Assembly in writing-

(a) the name of the person appointed,

(b) the post to which the person has been appointed, and

(6) Section 7 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (staff to be appointed on merit) shall apply in relation to any appointment under subsection (1)(b) or (2) above as if the Authority were a local authority.

(7) Section 8 of that Act (duty to adopt standing orders with respect to staff) shall apply in relation to staff appointed under subsection (1) or (2) above as if the Authority were a relevant authority.

(8) Section 9 of that Act (assistants for political groups), other than subsection (2), subsection (3) so far as relating to termination, and subsections (5) to (7), (8) and (10), shall apply in relation to any appointment under subsection (1)(a) above as if-

(a) the Authority were a relevant authority;

(b) any appointment to either of the posts in question were the appointment of a person in pursuance of that section;

(c) the reference in subsection (8) of that section to section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972 included a reference to section 31 of this Act; and

(d) the reference in paragraph (a) of the definition of "appropriate year" in subsection (10) of that section to provision for whole council elections being made by virtue of section 7(4)(a) or 26(2)(a) of the Local Government Act 1972 included a reference to provision for ordinary elections under Part I of this Act.

Disqualification and political restriction.

57. - (1) The following provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, namely-

(a) section 1 (disqualification and political restriction of certain officers and staff), and

(b) sections 2 and 3 (politically restricted posts and exemptions from restriction) so far as they have effect for the purposes of that section,

shall have effect as if each of the bodies specified in subsection (2) below were a local authority.

(2) The bodies are-

(a) the Authority;

(b) Transport for London;

(d) the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.

(3) A person employed by the Authority by virtue of his appointment under section 56(1)(b) above shall not, by virtue only of subsections (1) and (2) above, be disqualified from being or becoming a member of Transport for London or the London Development Agency without any additional remuneration.

(4) In section 2(3) of that Act, as it has effect in relation to the Authority by virtue of subsections (1) and (2)(a) above, any reference to the authority shall be taken to include a reference to the Mayor and a reference to the Assembly.

Disqualification for membership of certain London borough councils.

58. In section 80 of the Local Government Act 1972 (disqualification for election and holding office as member of a local authority) after subsection (2) there shall be inserted-

	"(2AA) A paid member of staff of the Greater London Authority who is employed under the direction of a joint committee the membership of which includes-
	(a) one or more persons appointed on the nomination of the Authority acting by the Mayor, and
	(b) one or more members of one or more London borough councils appointed to the committee on the nomination of those councils,
	shall be disqualified for being elected or being a member of any of those London borough councils."

Terms and conditions of employment.

59. - (1) A person appointed under section 56(1) above shall be employed on such terms and conditions (including conditions as to remuneration) as the Mayor thinks fit, within the financial resources available to the Authority.

(2) A person appointed under section 56(2) above shall be employed on such terms and conditions as the Assembly, after consultation with the Mayor, thinks fit.

(3) A person appointed under section 56(1) above shall not be required to perform any work or services for the Assembly or any member of the Assembly, except in accordance with subsection (4) below.

(4) It shall be a condition of the employment of-

(a) any person appointed under section 56(1)(b) above, and

(b) any person holding a politically restricted post under the Authority, other than a person appointed under section 56(1)(a) above,

that he comply with the requirements of subsection (5) below.

(5) Those requirements are that the person-

(a) attends every meeting of the Assembly held pursuant to section 44(2) above which he is requested by the Assembly to attend; and

(b) answers any questions put to him by Assembly members at any such meeting.

(6) For the purposes of subsection (4)(b) above, any question whether a person holds a politically restricted post under the Authority shall be determined in accordance with sections 2 and 3 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (politically restricted posts) as those sections have effect for the purposes of section 1 of that Act by virtue of section 57(1) above.

Disclosure by employees of interests in contracts.

60. Section 117 of the Local Government Act 1972 (disclosure by officers of interests in contracts) shall apply in relation to employees of the Authority as if the Authority were a local authority and its employees were officers employed by that local authority.

Chief Administrative Officer (head of paid service).

61. - (1) Section 4 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (designation and reports of head of paid service) shall apply in relation to the Authority as if-

(a) the Authority were a relevant authority for the purposes of that section; and

(b) the Mayor and Assembly members were the members of that authority.

(2) The duty imposed on the Authority by paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of that section, as it has effect by virtue of subsection (1) above, shall be discharged by the Assembly after consultation with the Mayor.

(3) The person designated by virtue of this section as the head of paid service of the Authority shall be known as "the Chief Administrative Officer" of the Authority.

Monitoring officer.

62. - (1) Section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (designation and reports of monitoring officer) shall apply in relation to the Authority as if-

(a) the Authority were a relevant authority for the purposes of that section; and

(b) the Mayor and Assembly members were the members of that authority.

Prepared 10 May 1999