National Health Service Act 1977

22 Co-operation between health authorities and local authorities

(1) In exercising their respective functions health authorities and local authorities shall co-operate with one another in order to secure and advance the health and welfare of the people of England and Wales.

(2) There shall be committees, to be called joint consultative committees, who shall advise Area Health Authorities and the authorities in column 2 of the Table below on the performance of their duties under subsection (1) above, and on the planning and operation of services of common concern to those authorities.

TABLE

1	2
Area Health Authority	Associated authorities
An Area Health Authority in a metropolitan county in England.	The local authority for each district wholly or partly in the area of the Authority.
An Area Health Authority in a non-metropolitan county in England, or an Area Health Authority in Wales.	The local authority for each county, and also for each district, wholly or partly in the area of the Authority.
An Area Health Authority in Greater London.	The local authority for each London borough wholly or partly in the area of the Authority.
	Also the Inner London Education Authority, if wholly or partly in the area of the Authority.
	Also the Common Council of the City of London, if in the area of the Authority.

(3) Except as provided by an order under the following provisions of this section, each joint consultative committee shall represent one or more Area Health Authorities together with one or more of the authorities in column 2 of the Table above, and an Area Health Authority shall be represented together with each of the authorities associated with that Authority in column 2 of the said Table in one or other of the committees (but not necessarily the same committee).

(4) The Secretary of State shall have power by order to provide for any matter relating to joint consultative committees, and such an order may in particular—

(a) provide for the way in which the provisions of subsections (2) and (3) above are to be carried out, or provide for varying the arrangements set out in those subsections;

(b) provide, where it appears to the Secretary of State appropriate, for an Area Health Authority to be represented on a joint consultative committee together with a local or other authority whose area is not within the area of the Area Health Authority ;

(c) afford a choice to any authorities as to the number of joint consultative committees on which they are to be represented, and provide for the case where the authorities cannot agree on the choice ;

(d) authorise or require a joint consultative committee to appoint any sub-committee or to join with another joint consultative committee or other joint consultative committees in appointing a joint sub-committee ;

(e) authorise or require the appointment to a joint consultative committee, or to any sub-committee, of persons who are not members of the authorities represented by the joint consultative committee;

(f) require the authorities represented on a joint consultative committee to defray the expenses of the committee, and of any sub-committee, in such shares as may be determined by or under the order, and provide for the way in which any dispute between those authorities concerning the expenses is to be resolved ; and

(g) require those authorities to make reports to the Secretary of State on the work of the joint consultative committee and of any sub-committee.

(5) Before making an order under this section the Secretary of State shall consult with such associations of local authorities as appear to him to be concerned, and with any local authority with whom consultation appears to him to be desirable.