Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973

1973 CHAPTER 65

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Part I

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS, AUTHORITIES AND ELECTIONS

New areas and councils

Section

Election of Councillors

Part II

CHANGES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS

Proposals by Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland

Conduct of Reviews

Supplementary Provisions

Part III

GENERAL PROVISIONS AS TO MEMBERS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND PROCEEDINGS

Qualifications and disqualifications

Resignation and Vacation of Office

Restrictions on voting

Meetings and proceedings

Allowances to members of local authorities and other bodies

Part IV

COMMUNITY COUNCILS

Part V

INTERNAL ORGANISATION

Discharge of functions

Staff

Part VI

MISCELLANEOUS POWERS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Subsidiary powers

Land transactions

Buildings, contracts, etc.

Private legislation

Miscellaneous

Part VII

FINANCE

Funds, revenue and expenses

Accounts and audit

Rating

Rate rebates

Valuation

Miscellaneous

Part VIII

FUNCTIONS

Education

Housing

The environment

Miscellaneous functions

Part IX

PLANNING

Planning authorities and plans

Development control

Miscellaneous

Part X

LICENSING, ETC.

Licensing Courts and Courts of Appeal

Betting, Gaming and Lotteries

Miscellaneous licensing, registration and related matters

Part XI

GENERAL PROVISIONS AS TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Legal Proceedings, Notices, etc.

Byelaws

Miscellaneous provisions

Part XII

MISCELLANEOUS, GENERAL AND TRANSITIONAL

Miscellaneous

General

SCHEDULES:

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973

1973 CHAPTER 65

[25th October 1973]

An Act to make provision with respect to local government and the functions of local authorities in Scotland; to amend Part II of the Transport Act 1968; and for connected purposes.

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:--

PART I

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS, AUTHORITIES AND ELECTIONS

New areas and councils

1.--(1) For the administration of local government on and after 16th May 1975, Scotland shall have local government areas in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(2) Scotland (other than Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles) shall be divided into local government areas to be known as regions, and those regions shall be the regions named in Part I of Schedule 1 to this Act and shall comprise the areas respectively described in column 2 of the said Part I, being administrative areas existing immediately before the passing of this Act.

(3) Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles shall be local government areas to be known as islands areas, and shall comprise the areas respectively described in column 2 of Part II of the said Schedule, being administrative areas existing immediately before the passing of this Act.

(4) In each region there shall be local government areas to be known as districts, and the districts shall be the districts named in column 2 of Part III of the said Schedule and shall comprise the areas respectively described in column 3 of the said Part III, being administrative areas existing immediately before the passing of this Act.

(5) On 16th May 1975, all local government areas existing immediately before that date, that is to say, all counties, counties of cities, large burghs, small burghs and districts, shall cease to exist, and the council of every such area shall also cease to exist.

(6) Part IV of the said Schedule shall have effect in relation to the boundaries of the new local government areas.

2.--(1) For every region, islands area and district there shall be a council consisting of a chairman and councillors, and each such council shall have all such functions as are vested in them by this Act or otherwise.

(2) Each such council shall be a body corporate by the name "The Regional Council", "The Islands Council" or "The District Council", as the case may be, with the addition of the name of the particular region, islands area or district, and shall have a common seal.

3.--(1) The chairman of each such council as aforesaid shall be elected by the council from among the councillors, and in the case of an equality of votes the chairmanship shall be determined by lot as between those who received an equal number of votes.

(2) The term of office of the chairman shall be four years from the date of his election as chairman, except in the case of the first and second ordinary elections of chairman of a district council when the term of office shall be three years or, in the case of the filling of a casual vacancy, when the council may decide that the person elected to fill the vacancy should serve as chairman for the remainder of the term of office of the council.

(3) The election of the chairman shall be the first business transacted at the first meeting of the council held after the ordinary election of councillors, and at that meeting, until the chairman is elected, the returning officer, and failing him such councillor as may be selected by the meeting, shall preside.

(4) A person holding the office of chairman shall be eligible for re-election as chairman but shall cease to hold that office upon ceasing to be a councillor.

(5) On a casual vacancy occurring in the office of chairman, an election to fill the vacancy shall be held as soon as practicable by the council at a meeting of the council the notice of which specifies the filling of the vacancy as an item of business, and the meeting shall be conducted in the same manner as an ordinary election of chairman.

(6) The title of "Lord Provost" shall attach to the chairman of each of the district councils of the cities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, the chairman of each other district council shall be known by such title as the district council, with the consent of the Secretary of State, may decide and the chairman of each regional or islands council shall be known as the convener of that council.

(7) A council may pay the chairman, for the purpose of enabling him to meet the expenses of his office, such allowance as the council think reasonable.

Election of Councillors

4.--(1) Councillors for a local government area shall be elected by the local government electors for that area in accordance with this Act and Part I of the Act of 1949.

(2) The ordinary election of councillors for a regional or islands council shall take place in 1974 and every fourth year thereafter.

(3) Subject to the provisions of subsection (6) below and of section 37(3) of this Act, the term of office of regional or islands councillors shall be four years and they shall retire together at the end of such term on the day of the ordinary election of such councillors.

(4) The first ordinary election of councillors for a district council shall take place in 1974, the second such election shall take place in 1977 and the third such election shall take place in 1980; thereafter such elections shall take place every fourth year.

(5) Subject to the provisions of subsection (6) below and of section 37(3) of this Act, the term of office of district councillors shall be

and they shall retire together at the end of such term on the day of the ordinary election of district councillors.

(6) A person elected to the office of councillor at an election held under the provisions of section 9 or 10 of this Act shall hold office only until the day of the next ordinary election.

5.--(1) For the purpose of the election of councillors--

and each such division or ward shall return one councillor.

(2) There shall be a separate election for each electoral division or ward.

6.--(1) Every local authority shall appoint an officer of the authority to be the returning officer for each election of councillors for the authority, and if the person so appointed dies, resigns or is for any other reason unable to act, the authority may appoint another person to be returning officer at that election.

(2) A returning officer appointed under this Act may by writing under his hand appoint one or more persons to discharge all or any of his functions.

(3) A local government election shall not be liable to be questioned by reason of a defect in the title, or want of title, of the person presiding at or conducting the election, if that person was then in actual possession of, or acting in, the office giving the right to preside at or conduct the election.

7.--(1) Elections of councillors for local government areas shall be conducted in accordance with rules made by the Secretary of State, and accordingly references in the Act of 1949 and in the Representation of the People Act 1969 to local elections rules shall, as respects Scotland, be construed as references to rules made under this section.

(2) Rules made under this section shall apply the parliamentary elections rules in Schedule 2 to the Act of 1949 subject to such adaptations, alterations and exceptions as seem appropriate to the Secretary of State.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (2) above, rules made under this section shall prescribe that the nomination paper of a candidate for election as a councillor for a local government area shall contain a statement declaring that the candidate--

(4) The statement mentioned in subsection (3) above shall also contain particulars of the candidate's qualification for office under paragraphs (a) to (d) of section 29(1) of this Act, in such form as may be prescribed by rules made under this section.

(5) All expenditure properly incurred by a returning officer in relation to the holding of an election of a councillor to a local authority shall be paid by the council of that authority, but only (in cases where there is a scale fixed for the purposes of this section by that council) in so far as it does not exceed that scale.

(6) Before a poll is taken at an election for a local government area, the council for that area shall, at the request of the returning officer or of any person acting as returning officer, advance to him such reasonable sum in respect of his expenses at the election as he may require.

(7) A statutory instrument containing rules made under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

8. In every year in which ordinary elections of councillors for local government areas are held, the day of election shall be the first Tuesday in May.

9.--(1) If at an election of a councillor for a local authority the poll is, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Representation of the People Act 1969 , abandoned or countermanded by reason of the death of a candidate, the returning officer for the election which, by reason of such abandonment or countermanding, has not been duly held or has failed, shall order an election to be held as soon as practicable thereafter on a date to be fixed by him, and he shall remain the returning officer for that election.

(2) At any such election, no fresh nomination shall be necessary in the case of a candidate who remained validly nominated for the election in respect of which the poll was abandoned or countermanded.

10.--(1) If for any reason a local authority or members of a local authority are not elected in accordance with the provisions of this Act or of Part I of the Act of 1949 and the case is not otherwise provided for, or if there is for any reason no legally constituted local authority for any area or the number of members of a local authority then in office is less than the quorum ascertained in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 7 to this Act, the Secretary of State may direct the holding of an election for filling such vacancies as exist, and the election shall be held as soon as practicable thereafter on a date to be fixed by the Secretary of State.

(2) The Secretary of State may, in the said direction, make such provision as seems to him expedient for authorising any person to act in place of a local authority pending the election of members of the authority by an election under subsection (1) above, and any direction under this section may contain such incidental, consequential, transitional or supplementary provisions as may appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary or proper.

11.--(1) Schedule 2 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the establishment of the new local authorities, the suspension of elections of existing local authorities and related matters, and this Part of this Act shall have effect, in relation to such establishment, subject to the provisions of that Schedule.

(2) Until 16th May 1975 the registration officer for any part of a constituency shall be the person who would, by virtue of the Act of 1949, have held that office apart from the changes to local government areas and authorities effected by this Act.

(3) Schedule 3 to this Act shall have effect for the purpose of amending and otherwise modifying the operation of the Representation of the People Acts and other enactments relating to parliamentary and local government elections, being amendments and modifications necessary or expedient in consequence of other provisions of this Act.

(4) In this Part of this Act "the Act of 1949" means the Representation of the People Act 1949 , and "registration officer" has the same meaning as in that Act.

PART II

CHANGES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS

Proposals by Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland

12.--(1) There shall be a Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland (in this Part of this Act referred to as "the Boundary Commission") who shall carry out the functions conferred on them by or under this Act.

(2) The provisions of Schedule 4 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the Boundary Commission.

13. The Boundary Commission may, in consequence of a review conducted by them under this Part of this Act, make proposals to the Secretary of State for effecting changes appearing to the Commission desirable in the interests of effective and convenient local government by any of the following means or any combination of those means (including the application of any of the following paragraphs to an area constituted or altered under any of those paragraphs):

14.--(1) Subject to sections 15 and 16 of this Act, it shall be the duty of the Boundary Commission, not less than ten nor more than fifteen years after 16th May 1975 and thereafter at intervals of not less than ten nor more than fifteen years from the submission of the last report of the Commission on the previous review under this subsection, to review all local government areas for the purpose of considering whether to make such proposals in relation to all or any or any part of those areas as are authorised by section 13 of this Act and what proposals, if any, to make, and the Commission shall formulate any such proposals accordingly.

(2) Without prejudice to subsection (1) above, the Boundary Commission may at any time, subject to sections 15 and 16 of this Act, review all or any or any part of the local government areas for the purpose of considering whether to make such proposals in relation to them as are authorised by section 13 of this Act, and what proposals, if any, to make, and the Commission shall formulate any such proposals accordingly.

(3) If the Boundary Commission receive a request from a local authority or from any person that they should conduct a review under subsection (2) above with respect to any local government area in which the authority or person appears to the Commission to have an interest, the Commission shall consider the request.

(4) In any case where the Secretary of State has made an order under section 1 of the New Towns (Scotland) Act 1968 designating any land as, or as an extension of, a new town and the area of the new town as so designated or so extended is not wholly comprised within one district, he shall, as soon as practicable after the order has become operative, send to the Boundary Commission a notice stating that the order is in operation and specifying the districts within which that area is situated, and on receipt of such a notice it shall be the duty of the Commission, subject to section 15(3) of this Act, to review the areas of those districts for the purpose of considering whether to make such proposals in relation to them as are authorised by section 13 of this Act and what proposals, if any, to make, and the Commission shall formulate any such proposals accordingly.

15.--(1) The Secretary of State may by direction given to the Boundary Commission vary the length of any interval specified in section 14(1) of this Act either as respects the whole review or as respects any particular case or cases.

(2) Subject to section 16 of this Act, the Secretary of State may direct the Boundary Commission to conduct a review of the local government areas as a whole, or of any one or more such areas or parts thereof, for the purpose of considering whether to make such proposals in relation to the areas as are authorised by section 13 of this Act and what proposals, if any, to make, and the Commission shall formulate any such proposals accordingly.

(3) The Secretary of State may direct the Boundary Commission not to undertake during a specified period a review of any one or more local government areas or parts of such areas which they have the duty or power to review under section 14 of this Act.

(4) The Secretary of State may give directions to the Boundary Commission for their guidance in conducting reviews under this Part of this Act and in making proposals in consequence thereof, and the directions may relate to all such reviews or to any particular review or class of review.

(5) A direction shall not be given under subsection (4) above with respect to any review conducted under this Part of this Act except after consultation with associations appearing to the Secretary of State to be representative of local authorities.

(6) The Secretary of State may give directions to the Boundary Commission with respect to the order in which areas are to be reviewed by them under sections 14 and 15(2) of this Act.

16.--(1) No review shall be conducted under section 14 or 15 of this Act for the purpose of making proposals for a substantive change of electoral arrangements, but the following provisions of this section shall have effect with respect to the making of such proposals.

(2) It shall be the duty of the Boundary Commission not less than ten nor more than fifteen years after the submission of the report on the initial review of electoral arrangements for a local government area under Schedule 5 to this Act and thereafter, so far as is reasonably practicable, at intervals of not less than ten nor more than fifteen years from the submission of the last report of the Commission under this subsection in relation to that area, to review the electoral arrangements for that area for the purpose of considering whether to make proposals to the Secretary of State for a substantive change in those arrangements and what proposals, if any, to make, and the Commission shall formulate any such proposals accordingly.

(3) Without prejudice to subsection (2) above, the Boundary Commission may at any time, whether at the request of a local authority or otherwise, review the electoral arrangements for a local government area for the purpose of considering whether to make proposals to the Secretary of State for a substantive change in those arrangements and what proposals, if any, to make and the Commission shall formulate any such proposals accordingly.

17.--(1) Where the Boundary Commission have--

on which they have a power or duty to formulate proposals to the Secretary of State, and in either case the Commission are of the opinion that they are in a position to submit to the Secretary of State a report on the review or any part of it, they shall, not later than the expiry of any time limit applicable to the review in question in terms of section 14, 15 or 16 of this Act, submit a report to him on the review or that part, together with the proposals they have formulated thereon, or, as the case may be, a notification that they have no proposals to put forward thereon.

(2) The Secretary of State may if he thinks fit by order give effect to any proposals made to him by the Boundary Commission, either as submitted to him or with modifications:

Provided that an order giving effect to any such proposals shall not be made until after the expiry of six weeks from the day on which those proposals were submitted to him.

(3) If in relation to any area the Secretary of State decides to make an order under this section giving effect with modifications to proposals made to him by the Boundary Commission, he may, if he thinks fit, direct the Commission to conduct a further review of that area or, as the case may be, of its electoral arrangements and to make a report to him containing revised proposals with respect to that area or those arrangements within a time specified in the direction.

(4) Where, following the submission of any report by the Commission under this section, the Secretary of State decides to make an order thereunder which abolishes or alters the boundaries of any local government area, he shall lay any such report before Parliament together with the order, and any statutory instrument containing such an order shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

Conduct of Reviews

18.--(1) Where the Boundary Commission propose to conduct a review under the foregoing provisions of this Part of this Act, they shall take such steps as they think fit to secure that persons who may be interested in the review are informed of the proposal to conduct it and of any directions of the Secretary of State which are relevant to it.

(2) In conducting any such review, the Boundary Commission shall--

(i) the council of any local government area affected by the review, and such other local authorities, community councils and public bodies as appear to them to be concerned;

(ii) any bodies representative of staff employed by local authorities who have asked the Boundary Commission to consult them; and

(iii) such other persons as they think fit;

(3) Where the Boundary Commission make a report under this Part of this Act they shall--

(4) Subject to the foregoing provisions of this section, the procedure of the Boundary Commission in conducting any review under this Part of this Act shall be such as they may determine.

19.--(1) The Boundary Commission may cause a local inquiry to be held with respect to any review carried out by them under this Part of this Act.

(2) Subsections (3) to (6) and (8) of section 210 of this Act shall apply in relation to an inquiry held under this section with the substitution for references to a Minister of references to the Boundary Commission.

Supplementary Provisions

20. Schedule 5 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the initial review of local government areas and electoral arrangements.

21.--(1) The Boundary Commission may appoint one or more members of the Commission--

(2) At the request of the Boundary Commission the Secretary of State may appoint one or more persons as assistant commissioners for all or any of the purposes specified in subsection (1)(a) and (b) above.

(3) The appointment of an assistant commissioner under subsection (2) above--

22. No local authority shall have power to promote private legislation for forming or abolishing any local government area or for altering, or altering the status or electoral arrangements of, any local government area.

23.--(1) Subject to subsection (4) below, the council of a region, islands area or district may, by a resolution passed by a majority of the whole number of the members of the council at a meeting of the council specially convened for the purpose with notice of the object, change the name of the region, islands area or district.

(2) Notice of any change of name made under this section--

(3) A change of name made in pursuance of this section shall not affect any rights or obligations of any council, authority or person, or render defective any legal proceedings; and any legal proceedings may be commenced or continued as if there had been no change of name.

(4) The name of a region, islands area or district shall not be changed under this section unless the change is made with the consent of the Secretary of State.

24.--(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations of general application make such incidental, consequential, transitional or supplementary provision as may appear to him to be necessary or proper for the purposes or in consequence of orders under this Part of this Act or for giving full effect thereto; and nothing in any other provision of this Act shall be construed as prejudicing the generality of this subsection.

(2) Regulations under this section may apply, with or without modifications, or extend, exclude or amend, or repeal or revoke, with or without savings, any provision of a local Act or any instrument made under an Act.

(3) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(4) An order under this Part of this Act may include the like provision in relation to the order as may be made by regulations of general application under this section by virtue of subsections (1) and (2) above; and nothing in any other provision of this Act shall be construed as prejudicing the generality of this subsection.

(5) Any such order may also include provision with respect to--

(6) In this section and in section 25 of this Act, "public body"means a local authority, joint board or joint committee.

25.--(1) Subject to any regulations made under section 24 of this Act and to the provisions of any order made under this Part of this Act, any public bodies affected by the alteration, abolition or constitution of any area by an order under this Part of this Act may from time to time make agreements with respect to any property, income, rights, liabilities and expenses (so far as affected by the alteration, abolition or constitution) of, and any financial relations between, the parties to the agreement.

(2) The agreement may provide--

(3) In default of agreement as to any matter, the matter shall be referred to the arbitration of a single arbiter agreed on by the parties, or in default of agreement appointed by the Secretary of State, and the award of the arbiter may provide for any matter for which an agreement under this section might have provided; but the provisions of section 3 of the Administration of Justice (Scotland) Act 1972 (power of arbiter to state case to Court of Session) shall not apply in relation to an arbitration under this section.

(4) Any sum required to be paid by a public body in pursuance of an agreement or award under this section shall be defrayed in such manner as may be specified in the agreement or award and, failing the agreement or award so specifying, in such manner as the public body making the payment may determine.

(5) Any capital sum received by a public body in pursuance of an agreement or award under this section shall be treated as capital and shall be applied with the sanction of the Secretary of State either in the repayment of capital debt or for any other purpose for which capital money may be applied.

26.--(1) The power conferred by section 233 of this Act to vary and revoke orders under this Act shall, in the case of orders under this Part of this Act, apply only in relation to any supplementary provision contained in any such order, and an order varying or revoking any such provision shall only be made after compliance with subsections (2) and (3) below.

(2) When the Secretary of State proposes to make any such varying or revoking order he shall prepare a draft of the order, shall send copies of the draft to such local or public authorities and community councils as appear to him to be concerned, and shall give public notice, in such manner as appears to him sufficient for informing persons likely to be concerned, that the draft has been prepared, that a copy of the draft is available for inspection at one or more places specified in the notice and that representations with respect to the draft may be made to him within two months of the publication of the notice.

(3) The Secretary of State shall consider any representations duly made with respect to the draft and may, if he thinks fit, make an order either in the form of the draft or subject to modifications.

(4) The Secretary of State may cause a local inquiry to be held with respect to a draft order under this section.

(5) In this section "supplementary provision" means any such provision as could be made by an order under this Part of this Act by virtue of section 24 or 215 of this Act.

27. In considering the framing or approval of a scheme or of an amendment to a scheme under Part IV of this Act, a local authority or the Secretary of State may consult the Boundary Commission on any matter relating to the boundaries of the area of a community council.

28.--(1) In this Part of this Act--

"electoral arrangements" means, in relation to a local government area, the number of councillors of the council for that area, the number and boundaries of the electoral areas into which that area is for the time being divided for the purpose of the election of the councillors, and the designation of any electoral area;

"local government area" means a region, islands area or district;

"substantive change" has the meaning assigned to it by section 13(d) of this Act.

(2) In considering the electoral arrangements for local government areas for the purposes of this Part of this Act, the Secretary of State and the Boundary Commission shall so far as is reasonably practicable comply with the rules set out in Schedule 6 to this Act, and the said arrangements shall be in accordance with the provisions of section 5 of this Act.

(3) Nothing in this Part of this Act shall affect, nor shall anything done thereunder affect, the area of the registration district for which a registrar is required to be appointed under the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965 or the provisions of that Act relating to registration districts.

PART III

GENERAL PROVISIONS AS TO MEMBERS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND PROCEEDINGS

Qualifications and disqualifications

29.--(1) A person shall, unless disqualified by virtue of this Act or any other enactment, be qualified to be nominated as a candidate for election as, or to be elected, or to be, a member of a local authority if he has attained the age of 21 years, is a British subject or a citizen of the Irish Republic and not subject to any legal incapacity and--

(2) In subsection (1) above, "owner" includes heir of entail in possession, liferenter and beneficiary entitled under any trust to the rents and profits of land or other premises, and does not include fiar of land or other premises subject to a liferent, or tutor, curator, judicial factor or commissioners.

30. A person ceasing to hold office to which he is elected under this Act shall, unless he is not qualified or is disqualified, be eligible for re-election.

31.--(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) below, a person shall be disqualified for being nominated as a candidate for election as, or for being elected, or for being, a member of a local authority if--

(i) of the authority; or

(ii) of any joint committee or joint board the expenses of which are defrayed in part by the authority; or

(2) Where a person is disqualified under subsection (1) above by reason of his estate having been sequestrated, the disqualification shall cease if and when--

(3) Where a person is disqualified under subsection (1) above by reason of having been adjudged bankrupt, then--

(4) A person who is for the time being a member, officer or servant of, or an officer

or servant of a subsidiary (within the meaning of the Transport Act 1962) of, the Passenger Transport Executive for an area which falls within a region shall be disqualified for being elected or being a member of the council of that region.

32.--(1) Subject to subsection (3) below, proceedings against any person on the ground that he is disqualified (within the meaning of this section) for being nominated as a candidate for election as a member of a local authority may be instituted before the sheriff principal by any opposing candidate at the election.

(2) Subject to subsection (3) below, proceedings against any person on the ground that he acted, or claims to be entitled to act, as a member of a local authority while disqualified for so acting within the meaning of this section may be instituted before the sheriff principal by the local authority concerned or by any four or more local government electors for the area concerned.

(3) Proceedings under this section may not be instituted after the alleged disqualification has ceased to exist, but proceedings pending at the time of such cessation may continue.

(4) Where in proceedings under this section it is proved that a person has acted as a member of a local authority while disqualified for so acting, the sheriff principal may--

(5) Where in proceedings under this section it is proved that the person concerned claims to act as a member of a local authority and is disqualified for so acting, the sheriff principal may make a declaration to that effect and declare that the office in which the person claims to be entitled to act is vacant and grant interdict against the person so acting.

(6) The sheriff principal shall have the same powers and privileges as a judge on the trial of a parliamentary election petition.

(7) For the purposes of this section, a person shall be deemed to be disqualified for acting as a member of a local authority if he is not qualified to be, or is disqualified for being, a member of the authority.

33. The acts and proceedings of any person elected to an office under this Act and acting in that office shall, notwithstanding any question as to the validity of his election or his disqualification or want of qualification, be as valid and effectual as if he had been duly elected and qualified.

Resignation and Vacation of Office

34. A member of a local authority may, at any time, resign his office as member by a notice in writing signed by him and delivered to the proper officer of the authority, and his resignation shall take effect upon the expiration of three weeks after the date of delivery of the notice or upon such earlier date, if any, as may be stated in the notice as the date on which the resignation is to take effect.

35.--(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) below, if a member of a local authority fails throughout a period of six consecutive months to attend any meeting of the authority, he shall, unless the failure was due to some reason approved by the authority, cease to be a member of the authority.

(2) Attendance as a member at a meeting of any committee or sub-committee of the authority, or at a meeting of any joint committee, joint board or other body by whom for the time being any of the functions of the authority are being discharged, and attendance as representative of the authority at a meeting of any body of persons, shall be deemed for the purposes of subsection (1) above to be attendance at a meeting of the authority.

(3) A member of any branch of Her Majesty's naval, military or air forces when employed during war or any emergency on any naval, military or air force service, and a person whose employment in the service of Her Majesty in connection with war or any emergency is such as, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, to entitle him to relief from disqualification on account of absence, shall not cease to be a member of a local authority by reason only of a failure to attend meetings of the local authority if the failure is due to that employment.

36. For the purpose of filling a casual vacancy in any office for which an election is held under this Act, the date on which the vacancy is to be deemed to have occurred shall be--

37.--(1) On a casual vacancy occurring in the office of councillor, an election to fill the vacancy shall be held within three months from the date on which the vacancy is deemed to have occurred, and the day of election to fill the vacancy shall be fixed by the returning officer.

(2) Where a casual vacancy in any such office occurs within six months before the date of the next ordinary election, an election shall not be held under subsection (1) above unless, on the occurrence of the vacancy (or in the case of a number of simultaneous vacancies, the occurrence of the vacancies), the total number of unfilled vacancies in the membership of the council exceeds one third of the whole number of members; and where an election under subsection (1) above is not held, the vacancy shall be filled at the next ordinary election.

(3) A person elected to fill a casual vacancy in the office of councillor shall hold office until the day of the next ordinary election.

Restrictions on voting

38.--(1) Subject to the provisions of section 60 of this Act, if a member of a local authority has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in any contract, proposed contract or other matter, and is present at a meeting of the local authority at which the contract or other matter is the subject of consideration, he shall at the meeting, and as soon as practicable after its commencement, disclose the fact and shall not take part in the consideration or discussion of the contract or other matter or vote on any question with respect to it.

(2) If any person fails to comply with the provisions of subsection (1) above, he shall for each offence be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £200 unless he proves that he did not know that the contract, proposed contract or other matter in which he had a pecuniary interest was the subject of consideration at that meeting.

(3) A local authority may, by standing orders, provide for the exclusion of a member of the authority from a meeting of the authority while any contract, proposed contract or other matter in which he has a pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, is under consideration.

(4) The following, that is to say--

shall not be treated as a pecuniary interest for the purposes of this section.

39.--(1) For the purposes of section 38 of this Act, a person shall be treated, subject to the following provisions of this section and to section 41 of this Act, as having indirectly a pecuniary interest in a contract, proposed contract or other matter, if--

(2) Subsection (1) above does not apply to membership of or employment under any public body, and a member of a company or other body shall not by reason only of his membership be treated as having an interest in any contract, proposed contract or other matter if he has no beneficial interest in any securities of that company or other body.

(3) In the case of married persons living together, the interest of one spouse shall, if known to the other, be deemed for the purpose of section 38 of this Act to be also an interest of the other.

40.--(1) A general notice, given in writing to the proper officer of the authority by a member thereof, to the effect that he or his spouse is a member or in the employment of a specified company or other body, or that he or his spouse is a partner or in the employment of a specified person, or that he or his spouse is the tenant of any premises owned by the authority, shall, unless and until the notice is withdrawn, be deemed to be a sufficient disclosure of his interest in any contract, proposed contract or other matter relating to that company or other body or to that person or to those premises which may be the subject of consideration after the date of the notice.

(2) The proper officer of the authority shall record, in a book to be kept for the purpose, particulars of any disclosure made under section 38 of this Act and of any notice given under this section, and the book shall be open at all reasonable hours to the inspection of any local government elector for the area of the local authority.

41.--(1) The Secretary of State, as respects a member of any local authority, may, subject to such conditions as he may think fit to impose, remove any disability imposed by section 38 of this Act in any case in which the number of members of a local authority disabled by that section at any one time would be so great a proportion of the whole as to impede the transaction of business, or in any other case in which it appears to the Secretary of State in the interests of the inhabitants of the area that the disability should be removed.

(2) The power of the Secretary of State under subsection (1) above includes power to remove, either indefinitely or for any period, any such disability which would otherwise attach to any member, or any class or description of member, by reason of such interests, and in respect of such matters, as may be specified by the Secretary of State.

(3) Nothing in section 38 of this Act precludes any person from taking part in the consideration or discussion of, or voting on, any question whether an application should be made to the Secretary of State for the exercise of the powers conferred by subsections (1) and (2) above.

(4) Section 38 of this Act does not apply to an interest in a contract, proposed contract or other matter which a member of a local authority has as a ratepayer or inhabitant of the area, or as an ordinary consumer of water or to an interest in any matter relating to the terms on which the right to participate in any service, including the supply of goods, is offered to the public.

(5) For the purposes of section 38 of this Act, a member shall not be treated as having a pecuniary interest in any contract, proposed contract or other matter by reason only of an interest of his or of any company, body or person with which he is connected, as mentioned in section 39 of this Act, which is so remote or insignificant that it cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to influence a member in the consideration or discussion of, or in voting on, any question with respect to that contract or matter.

(6) Where a member of a local authority has an indirect pecuniary interest in a contract, proposed contract or other matter by reason only of a beneficial interest in securities of a company or other body, and the total nominal value of those securities does not exceed £1,000 or one-hundredth of the total nominal value of the issued share capital of the company or body, whichever is the less, and if the share capital is of more than one class, the total nominal value of shares of any one class in which he has a beneficial interest does not exceed one-hundredth of the total issued share capital of that class, sections 38 and 39 of this Act shall not prohibit him from taking part in the consideration or discussion of the contract or other matter or from voting on any question with respect to it, without prejudice, however, to his duty to disclose his interest.

42.--(1) In sections 39 and 41 of this Act, "securities" and "shares" have the same meaning respectively as in the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958.

(2) In section 39 of this Act, "public body" includes any body established for the purpose of carrying on under national ownership any industry or part of an industry or undertaking, the governing body of any university, or college, school or hall of a university, college of education or central institution or of any institution established under section 81(2) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1962, and the National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty incorporated by the Order confirmed by the National Trust for Scotland Order Confirmation Act 1935.

In this subsection, "college of education" and "central institution" have the meanings assigned to them by section 145 of the said Act of 1962.

Meetings and proceedings

43. The provisions of Schedule 7 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the meetings and proceedings of local authorities and their committees.

44.--(1) For the purpose of securing the admission, so far as practicable, of the public (including the press) to all meetings of committees of local authorities as well as to meetings of local authorities themselves, the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 (in this section referred to as "the 1960 Act") shall have effect subject to the following provisions of this section.

(2) Without prejudice to section 2(1) of the 1960 Act (application of section 1 of that Act to any committee of a body whose membership consists of or includes all members of that body) section 1 of the 1960 Act shall apply to any committee constituted under an enactment specified in section 56(9) of this Act and to any committee appointed by one or more local authorities under section 57 of this Act, not being a committee falling within section 2(1) of the 1960 Act.

(3) Where section 1 of the 1960 Act applies to a committee by virtue of subsection (2) above, then, for the purposes of subsection (4)(c) of that section, premises belonging to the local authority or one or more of the local authorities which appointed the committee shall be treated as belonging to the committee.

Allowances to members of local authorities and other bodies

45.--(1) Any member of a local authority who is a councillor shall be entitled to receive a payment by way of attendance allowance, that is to say, a payment for the performance of any approved duty, being a payment of such reasonable amount, not exceeding the prescribed amount, as the local authority may determine.

(2) The amount prescribed under subsection (1) above may be prescribed by reference to any period of twenty-four hours.

(3) The amount of any allowance determined by a local authority under subsection (1) above may vary according to the time of day and the duration of the duty, but shall be the same for all members of the authority entitled to the allowance in respect of a duty of any description at the same time of day and of the same duration.

(4) Any member of a body to which this section applies who is not entitled under subsection (1) above to receive attendance allowance for the performance of an approved duty shall be entitled to receive a payment by way of financial loss allowance that is to say, a payment not exceeding the prescribed amount in respect of any loss of earnings necessarily suffered, or any additional expenses (other than expenses on account of travelling or subsistence) necessarily suffered or incurred by him for the purpose of enabling him to perform that duty.

46.--(1) Subject to subsection (2) below a member of a body to which this section applies shall be entitled to receive payments by way of travelling allowance or subsistence allowance where expenditure on travelling (whether inside or outside the United Kingdom) or, as the case may be, on subsistence is necessarily incurred by him for the purpose of enabling him to perform any approved duty as a member of that body, being payments at rates determined by that body, but not exceeding, in the case of travel for the purpose of an approved duty within the United Kingdom, such rates as may be specified by the Secretary of State.

(2) A member of a body shall not be entitled to a payment under this section by way of subsistence allowance in respect of the performance of an approved duty except in respect of a duty performed at a distance of more than three miles from his usual place of residence.

47.--(1) The following bodies, that is to say--

may pay any member of the authority or other body attending any such conference or meeting such allowances in the nature of those payable under sections 45 and 46 of this Act as they think fit, being payments of such reasonable amounts as they may determine in any particular case or class of case and not exceeding the amounts prescribed under section 45 of this Act and, except in the case of a conference or meeting held outside the United Kingdom, specified under section 46 of this Act for the corresponding allowances under those sections.

(2) Where a body mentioned in subsection (1)(b) above has power under any enactment other than this Act or any instrument under such an enactment to pay expenses incurred in attending a conference or meeting to which this section applies, the amount payable under that enactment or instrument shall not exceed the amount which would be payable in respect of the attendance under that subsection.

(3) In relation to a local authority, this section applies to a conference or meeting held inside or outside the United Kingdom and convened by any person or body (other than a person or body convening it in the course of a trade or business or a body the objects of which are wholly or partly political) for the purpose of discussing matters which in their opinion relate to the interests of their area or any part of it or the interests of the inhabitants of their area or any part of it.

(4) In relation to any other body to which this section applies, other than a water development board within the meaning of the Water (Scotland) Act 1967 , this section applies to a conference or meeting convened by one or more such bodies or by an association of such bodies.

(5) In relation to any water development board as aforesaid, this section applies to a conference or meeting held inside or outside the United Kingdom and convened by any other person or body (other than a person or body convening it in the course of a trade or business or a body the objects of which are wholly or partly political) for the purpose of discussing matters which in the opinion of the board relate to their functions.

48.--(1) Subject to subsection (2) below, a local authority may--

(2) In the case of a visit within the United Kingdom, the amount defrayed under this section by a local authority in respect of the expenses of any member of the authority in making a visit within the United Kingdom shall not exceed the payments which he would have been entitled to receive by way of travelling allowance or subsistence allowance under section 46 of this Act if the making of the visit had been an approved duty of that member.

49.--(1) Sections 45 to 47 of this Act shall apply to the following bodies--

(2) In sections 45, 46 and 48 of this Act, the expression "approved duty", in relation to a member of a body, means any of the following duties, that is to say--

(3) For the purposes of sections 45 to 48 of this Act a member of a committee or sub-committee of a local authority or other body mentioned in subsection (1) above shall be deemed to be a member of that body.

(4) Section 38(4) of this Act shall apply in relation to a member of any body mentioned in subsection (1) above to whom it would not otherwise apply as it applies in relation to a member of a local authority; and no other enactment or instrument shall prevent a member of any such body from taking part in the consideration or determination of any allowance or other payment under any of the provisions of sections 45 to 48 of this Act.

50.--(1) The Secretary of State may make regulations as to the manner in which sections 45 to 48 of this Act are to be administered, and in particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision, may make regulations--

(2) A statutory instrument containing regulations under section 45 or 49 of this Act or this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

PART IV

COMMUNITY COUNCILS

51.--(1) Every local authority within the meaning of this Part of this Act shall, before 16th May 1976, or such later date as may be agreed by the Secretary of State, submit to the Secretary of State, in accordance with the provisions of this Part of this Act, a scheme for the establishment of community councils for their area.

(2) In addition to any other purpose which a community council may pursue, the general purpose of a community council shall be to ascertain, co-ordinate and express to the local authorities for its area, and to public authorities, the views of the community which it represents, in relation to matters for which those authorities are responsible, and to take such action in the interests of that community as appears to it to be expedient and practicable.

(3) In this Part of this Act, except subsection (2) above, "local authority" means an islands council or a district council.

52.--(1) Every local authority shall give public notice of their intention to frame a scheme for the establishment of community councils, and any such notice shall invite the public, within a period of not less than eight weeks from the date of the notice, to make suggestions as to the areas and composition of the community councils.

(2) After considering suggestions made under subsection (1) above, the local authority shall prepare and give public notice of a draft scheme which shall contain--

(3) The notice mentioned in subsection (2) above shall invite the public, within a period of not less than eight weeks from the date of the notice, to make to the local authority representations as respects the draft scheme.

(4) After considering any representations made under subsection (3) above, the local authority may amend the draft scheme to take account of those representations and shall submit the scheme to the Secretary of State for his approval along with any outstanding representations and their comments upon them.

(5) The Secretary of State, after holding, if he thinks fit, a local inquiry in relation to the whole scheme or any part thereof, may approve, with or without modifications, a scheme submitted to him under subsection (4) above, or may refer the scheme back, in whole or in part, for further consideration by the local authority concerned.

(6) After the Secretary of State has approved a scheme, the local authority shall give public notice of the scheme in its approved form together with public notice of such a scheme as it applies to each proposed area, by exhibition in that area, and any such notice shall contain an invitation to electors in the area concerned to apply in writing to the local authority for the establishment of a community council in accordance with the scheme.

(7) Where not less than 20 electors apply as mentioned in subsection (6) above, the local authority shall, within not more than six weeks from the date of the application, organise, in accordance with the scheme, elections or other voting arrangements for the purpose of establishing the community council.

53.--(1) Having regard to changing circumstances and to any representations made to them, every local authority shall from time to time review schemes made and approved under section 52 of this Act and, where they consider that such a scheme ought to be amended, they shall give public notice of their proposals, inviting any community council concerned and the public to make to the local authority representations as respects the proposals.

(2) Where no representations as respects proposals are made under subsection (1) above or any made have been withdrawn, the scheme shall have effect as amended by the proposals.

(3) Where representations as aforesaid are not withdrawn, the local authority may amend their proposals to take account of those representations and shall submit their proposals to the Secretary of State for his approval along with any outstanding representations and their comments upon them.

(4) The Secretary of State, after holding, if he thinks fit, a local inquiry in relation to proposals submitted to him under subsection (3) above, may approve the proposals, with or without modifications, or may refuse to approve them, and where he approves the proposals, the local authority shall give public notice of the proposals and the scheme shall have effect as amended by the proposals.

54.--(1) If, contrary to section 51 of this Act, a local authority fail to submit to the Secretary of State a scheme for their area or any part thereof, he may himself prepare a scheme, carry out any consultations which seem to him to be appropriate, and, if he thinks fit, hold a local inquiry in relation to the scheme.

(2) After considering those consultations and the result of any local inquiry, the Secretary of State may confirm the scheme subject to such, if any, modifications as he thinks fit, and may organise, in accordance with the scheme, elections or other voting arrangements for the purpose of establishing a community council or councils for the area or areas concerned.

(3) If, contrary to section 53 of this Act, a local authority fail to review a scheme or make proposals in pursuance of such review, the Secretary of State may propose amendments to the scheme, carry out consultations and hold a local inquiry as aforesaid.

(4) After considering those consultations and the result of any local inquiry, the Secretary of State may confirm the amendments subject to such, if any, modifications as he thinks fit.

(5) Where a scheme or amendments are confirmed by the Secretary of State under this section, he shall give public notice of the scheme or amendments as confirmed.

(6) Any expenses incurred by the Secretary of State by virtue of this section, which he certifies as having been incurred in performing the functions of a local authority, may be recovered by him from that authority.

55. Regional, islands and district councils may make such contributions as they think fit towards the expenses of community councils within their areas, may make loans to those councils and may, at the request of such community councils, provide them with staff, services, accommodation, furniture, vehicles and equipment, on such terms as to payment or otherwise as may be agreed between the councils concerned.

PART V

INTERNAL ORGANISATION

Discharge of functions

56.--(1) Subject to any express provision contained in this Act or any Act passed after this Act, a local authority may arrange for the discharge of any of their functions by a committee of the authority, a sub-committee, an officer of the authority or by any other local authority in Scotland.

(2) Where by virtue of this section any functions of a local authority may be discharged by a committee of theirs, then, unless the local authority otherwise direct, the committee may arrange for the discharge of any of those functions by a sub-committee or an officer of the authority.

(3) Where by virtue of this section any functions of a local authority may be discharged by another local authority, subsections (1) and (2) above shall apply in relation to those functions as they apply in relation to the functions of that other authority, except that--

(4) Any arrangement made by a local authority or committee under this section for the discharge of any functions by a committee, sub-committee, officer or local authority shall not prevent the authority or committee by whom the arrangement is made from exercising those functions.

(5) Two or more local authorities may discharge any of their functions jointly and, where arrangements are in force for them to do so,--

(6) A local authority's functions with respect to determining a rate or borrowing money shall be discharged only by the authority.

(7) A local authority shall not make arrangements under this section for the discharge of any of their functions under the Diseases of Animals Act 1950 by any other local authority.

(8) Any enactment, except one mentioned in subsection (9) below, which contains any provision--

shall, to the extent that it makes any such provision, cease to have effect.

(9) The following enactments are exempted from subsection (8) above--

(10) This section shall not authorise a local authority to arrange for the discharge by any committee, sub-committee or local authority of any functions which, by any enactment mention in subsection (9) above, are required or authorised to be discharged by a specified committee, but the foregoing provision shall not prevent a local authority who are required by or under any such enactment to establish, or delegate functions to, a committee established by or under any such enactment from arranging under this section for the discharge of their functions by an officer of the local authority or committee, as the case may be.

(11) In accordance with such directions as the Secretary of State may give in that regard, the Strathclyde Regional Council shall before 31st December 1974 prepare and submit to him for his approval proposals setting forth the arrangements made by them for the discharge of their functions under the Education (Scotland) Acts 1939 to 1973 and the Social Work (Scotland) Acts 1968 and 1972.

(12) The Secretary of State may approve, with or without modifications, proposals submitted to him under subsection (11) above or may refuse to approve them, and any such proposals may be varied or revoked by subsequent proposals which shall be submitted to the Secretary of State for approval or otherwise as aforesaid.

(13) The Strathclyde Regional Council shall cause their said functions to be discharged

in accordance with any proposals approved under subsection (12) above, and on 15th May 1978 subsections (11) and (12) above and this subsection shall cease to have effect.

(14) References in this section and section 57 below to the discharge of any of the functions of a local authority include references to the doing of anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the discharge of any of those functions.

(15) Nothing in this section affects the operation of the Local Authorities (Goods and Services) Act 1970 .

57.--(1) For the purpose of discharging any functions of a local authority in pursuance of arrangements made under section 56 of this Act--

(2) Subject to the provisions of this section, the number of members of a committee appointed under subsection (1) above, their term of office, and the area (if restricted) within which the committee are to exercise their authority, shall be fixed by the appointing authority or authorities or, in the case of a sub-committee, by the appointing committee.

(3) A committee appointed under subsection (1) above, other than a committee for regulating and controlling the finance of the local authority or of their area may, subject to section 59 below, include persons who are not members of the appointing authority or authorities or, in the case of a sub-committee, the authority or authorities of whom they are a sub-committee, but at least two-thirds of the members appointed to any such committee (other than a sub-committee) shall be members of that authority or those authorities, as the case may be.

(4) A local authority may appoint a committee, and two or more local authorities may join in appointing a committee, to advise the appointing authority or authorities on any matter relating to the discharge of their functions, and any such committee--

(5) Every member of a committee appointed under this section who at the time of his appointment was a member of the appointing authority or one of the appointing authorities shall, upon ceasing to be a member of that authority, also cease to be a member of the committee; but for the purposes of this section a member of a local authority shall not be deemed to have ceased to be a member of the authority by reason of retirement if he has been re-elected a member thereof not later than the day of his retirement.

58. The expenses incurred by a joint committee appointed under this Part of this Act or any other enactment shall be defrayed by the appointing local authorities in such proportions as they may agree or, in case of disagreement, as may be determined by the Secretary of State.

59.--(1) Subject to section 126 of this Act, a person who is disqualified under Part III of this Act for being elected or being a member of a local authority shall be disqualified for being a member of a committee (including a sub-committee) of that authority, or being a representative of that authority on a joint committee of the authority and another local authority, whether the committee or joint committee are appointed under this Act or under any other enactment.

(2) Section 32 of this Act shall, so far as applicable, apply with respect to membership of or a claim to be entitled to act as a member of a committee or sub-committee of a local authority or of a joint committee appointed by local authorities as it applies to membership of or claims to be entitled to act as a member of a local authority.

60. Sections 38 to 42 of this Act shall apply as respects members of a committee or sub-committee of a local authority or of any joint committee appointed by two or more local authorities, whether the committee, sub-committee or joint committee are appointed under this Act or under any other enactment, as they apply in respect of members of local authorities, subject to the following modifications--

61. Where a local authority by virtue of any enactment or instrument or otherwise appoint a member of the authority to be a member of any court or body, then, unless otherwise specifically provided in the enactment or instrument regulating the constitution of the court or body, the person so appointed shall cease to be a member of the court or body on ceasing to be a member of the authority.

62. A local authority appointing a committee, and local authorities appointing a joint committee, either under this Act or under any other enactment, may make, vary or revoke standing orders respecting the quorum, proceedings and place of meeting of the committee, joint committee or any sub-committee of any such committee, but, subject to any such standing orders, the quorum, proceedings and place of meeting shall be such as the committee, joint committee or sub-committee may determine.

63.--(1) Subsections (2) to (4) below shall have effect for the purposes of the application of the foregoing provisions of this Part of this Act to a local authority in relation to their functions as a police authority.

(2) A police authority may not arrange under section 56(1) of this Act for the discharge of any of their functions by another police authority or a district council.

(3) The following provisions of this Part of this Act shall not apply to a police authority--

(4) Section 62 of this Act shall not apply in a case where a joint police committee are constituted by or under an amalgamation scheme made under Part I of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 .

(5) Subsections (1) and (2) of section 56 of this Act shall apply to a joint police committee as they apply to a local authority except that--

Staff

64.--(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, a local authority shall appoint such officers as they think necessary for the proper discharge by the authority of their functions and the carrying out of any obligations incurred by them in connection with an agreement made by them in pursuance of section 65 of this Act.

(2) An officer appointed under subsection (1) above shall hold office on such reasonable terms and conditions, including conditions as to remuneration, as the authority appointing him think fit.

(3) Where an action has been brought against an officer of a local authority in respect of an act done by him in the execution or purported execution of any enactment and the circumstances are such that he is not legally entitled to require the authority to indemnify him, the authority may nevertheless indemnify him against the whole or a part of any damages or expenses which he may have been ordered to pay or may have incurred if they are satisfied that he honestly believed that the act complained of was within the scope of his employment and that his duty under the enactment required or entitled him to do it.

(4) Any enactment, except one mentioned in subsection (5) below, which requires or empowers local authorities or any class of local authorities to appoint a specified officer shall, to the extent that it makes any such provision, cease to have effect.

(5) The following enactments are excepted from subsection (4) above--

(6) Nothing in this section affects the operation of section 7 of the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965 (registrars) or the operation of the Local Authorities (Goods and Services) Act 1970 .

(7) Nothing in subsections (1) and (2) above affects the operation of section 9 of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 (employees other than constables).

65.--(1) Without prejudice to any powers exercisable apart from this section, a local authority may enter into an agreement with another local authority for the placing at the disposal of the latter for the purposes of their functions, on such terms as may be provided by the agreement, of the services of officers employed by the former, but shall not enter into any such agreement with respect to any officer without consulting him.

(2) For superannuation purposes, service rendered by an officer of a local authority whose services are placed at the disposal of another local authority in pursuance of this section is service rendered to the authority by whom he is employed, but any such officer shall be treated for the purposes of any enactment relating to the discharge of local authorities' functions as an officer of that other local authority.

66.--(1) A local authority shall, in the case of an officer employed by them, whether under this or any other enactment, who by reason of his office or employment is likely to be entrusted with the custody or control of money, and may, in the case of any other officer employed by them, bake such security for his duly accounting for all money or property which may be entrusted to him, as the local authority consider sufficient.

(2) A local authority may, in the case of a person not employed by them but who is likely to be entrusted with the custody or control of money or property belonging to the local authority, take such security as they think sufficient for the person duly accounting for all such money or property.

(3) A local authority shall defray the cost of any security taken under this section, and every such security shall be produced to the auditor at the audit of the accounts of the local authority.

67. A person shall, so long as he is, and for twelve months after he ceases to be, a member of a local authority, be disqualified for being appointed by that authority to any paid office, other than to the office of chairman.

68.--(1) If it comes to the knowledge of an officer employed, whether under this Act or any other enactment, by a local authority that a contract in which he has any pecuniary interest, whether direct or indirect (not being a contract to which he is himself a party), has been, or is proposed to be, entered into by the authority or any committee thereof, he shall, as soon as practicable, give notice in writing to the authority of the fact that he is interested therein.

For the purposes of this section, an officer shall be treated as having indirectly a pecuniary interest in a contract or proposed contract if he would have been so treated by virtue of section 39 of this Act had he been a member of the authority.

(2) An officer of a local authority shall not, under colour of his office or employment, accept any fee or reward whatsoever other than his proper remuneration.

(3) Any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) or (2) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £200.

(4) References in this section to a local authority shall include references to a joint committee appointed under section 57 of this Act or any other enactment.

PART VI

MISCELLANEOUS POWERS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Subsidiary powers

69.--(1) Without prejudice to any powers exercisable apart from this section but subject to the provisions of this Act and any other enactment passed before or after this Act, a local authority shall have power to do any thing (whether or not involving the expenditure, borrowing or lending of money or the acquisition or disposal of any property or rights) which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the discharge of any of their functions.

(2) A local authority shall not by virtue of this section raise money, whether by means of rates or borrowing, or lend money except in accordance with the enactments relating to those matters respectively.

(3) Without prejudice to section 53 of the Countryside (Scotland) Act 1967 (contributions by or to local authorities), two or more local authorities may make arrangements for defraying any expenditure incurred by one of them in exercising any functions exercisable by both or all of them.

Land transactions

70.--(1) For the purposes of--

a local authority may acquire by agreement any land, whether situated inside or outside their area.

(2) A local authority may acquire by agreement any land for any purpose for which they are authorised by this or any other enactment to acquire land, notwithstanding that the land is not immediately required for that purpose; and, until it is required for the purpose for which it was acquired, any land acquired under this subsection may be used for the purpose of any of the authority's functions.

(3) For the purpose of the purchase of land by agreement by a local authority, the Lands Clauses Acts (except so much thereof as relates to the acquisition of land otherwise than by agreement, and the provisions relating to access to the special Act, and except sections 120 to 125 of the Lands Clauses Consolidation (Scotland) Act 1845 ), and section 6 and sections 70 to 78 of the Railways Clauses Consolidation (Scotland) Act 1845 (as originally enacted and not as amended by section 15 of the Mines (Working Facilities and Support) Act 1923 ) are hereby incorporated with this section, and, in construing those Acts for the purposes of this section, this section shall be deemed to be the special Act and the local authority shall be deemed to be the promoters of the undertaking or company, as the case may require.

(4) Where two or more local authorities acting together would have power to acquire any land by agreement by virtue of this section, nothing in any enactment shall prevent one of those authorities from so acquiring the land on behalf of both or all of them in accordance with arrangements made between them, including arrangements as to the subsequent occupation and use of the land.

(5) References in the foregoing provisions of this section to acquisition are references to acquisition by purchase, feu, lease or excambion.

71.--(1) Subject to subsection (2) below, for the purposes of any of their functions under this or any other enactment, a local authority may be authorised by the Minister concerned with the function in question to purchase compulsorily any land, whether situated inside or outside their area.

(2) A local authority may not be authorised under subsection (1) above to purchase land compulsorily for any purpose in relation to which their power of acquisition is by any enactment expressly limited to acquisition by agreement.

(3) Where one or more local authorities propose, in exercise of the power conferred by subsection (1) above, to acquire any land for more than one purpose, the Minister or Ministers whose authorisation is required for the exercise of that power shall not be concerned to make any apportionment between those purposes nor, where there is more than one local authority, between those authorities, and--

(4) The Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) (Scotland) Act 1947 shall apply in relation to the compulsory purchase of land in pursuance of subsection (1) above as if that subsection were contained in an Act in force immediately before the commencement of that Act.

72. The title to all land acquired by a local authority shall be taken in the corporate name of the authority.

73.--(1) Subject to Part II of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1959 and to the following provisions of this section, a local authority may appropriate for the purpose of any function, whether statutory or otherwise, land vested in them for the purpose of any other such function.

(2) A local authority may not exercise their power of appropriation under subsection (1) above with respect to any land specified in subsection (3)(a) below except with the consent of the Minister concerned with the function for which the land is held immediately before the appropriation, or with respect to any land specified in subsection (3)(b) below except with the consent of the Secretary of State.

(3) The land to which subsection (2) above applies is--