Greater London Authority Act 1999

Information etc.

395 Provision of information, advice and assistance by functional bodies

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, the functional bodies shall provide the Mayor with such information, advice and assistance as he may by notice request.

(2) The information, advice or assistance that may be requested under subsection (1) above is such information, advice or assistance as the Mayor may reasonably require for the purpose of discharging functions of the Authority which are exercisable by him.

(3) The Secretary of State may by order—

(a) prescribe categories of information which a functional body may refuse to provide to the Mayor under subsection (1) above, or

(b) impose further limitations on the exercise of the powers conferred on the Mayor by subsection (1) above.

396 Research and collection of information: London Research Centre etc

(1) The Authority—

(a) may carry out, or assist in carrying out, investigations into, or the collection of information relating to, any matters concerning Greater London or any part of it; and

(b) may make, or assist in making, arrangements whereby any such information is, or the results of any such investigation are, made available to any government department, any local authority in Greater London, any other body or person, or the public.

(2) The Secretary of State may make regulations requiring the Authority to carry out, or assist in carrying out, under subsection (1)(a) above investigations into, or the collection of information relating to, such matters as may be specified in the regulations or matters of such a description as may be so specified.

(3) Regulations under subsection (2) above may make provision requiring the Authority to make, or assist in making, arrangements whereby any such information is, or the results of any such investigation are, made available to—

(a) government departments;

(b) bodies or persons specified, or of a description specified, in the regulations; or

(c) the public.

(4) The Secretary of State may make regulations requiring the Authority to make, or assist in making, arrangements whereby information falling within subsection (5) below which is in the possession of the Authority is made available to any of the bodies and persons mentioned in subsection (3)(a) to (c) above.

(5) The information which falls within this subsection is—

(a) information collected, or the result of any investigation carried out, by the Authority under subsection (1)(a) above, and

(b) information collected, or the result of any investigation carried out, other than by the Authority which has been transferred to the Authority by virtue of an order under section 408 below or a scheme under section 409 below.

(6) Any functions conferred or imposed on the Authority by or under this section shall be exercisable by the Mayor acting on behalf of the Authority.

(7) Subsection (6) above does not apply in relation to any function expressly conferred or imposed on the Assembly by regulations under subsection (2) above.

(8) The Mayor shall from time to time, and at least once in every year, consult each London borough council and the Common council about the exercise of the Authority’s functions under subsection (1) above.

(9) Before making any regulations under subsection (2) above, the Secretary of State shall consult the Mayor, the Assembly, every London borough council and the Common Council.

(10) Any scheme made for Greater London under subsection (1) of section 88 of the [1985 c. 51.] Local Government Act 1985 (research and collection of information) is revoked by this subsection.

(11) In that section—

(a) in subsection (1), the words “Greater London or”, and

(b) subsection (12)(a),

shall cease to have effect.

(12) After subsection (13) of that section (power of London borough councils etc to exercise functions described in subsection (1)(a) and (b) of that section) there shall be inserted—

“(13A) In the application of subsection (13) above in relation to a London borough council or the Common Council, paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) above shall have effect with the substitution of “Greater London” for “that area”.”

397 Information schemes

(1) The Mayor may make schemes for the collection of information relating to any matters concerning Greater London or any part of it.

(2) The schemes that may be made under this section include schemes under which each London local authority must provide to the Mayor, in accordance with the scheme, information—

(a) required by the Mayor to be provided; and

(b) falling within such description of information as is specified in the scheme.

(3) A scheme under this section may be made only after consultation with each London local authority.

(4) A scheme under this section shall have effect so as to be binding on all the London local authorities only if at least two-thirds of those authorities give their agreement to the scheme.

(5) A scheme under this section shall state whether or not it is to remain in effect indefinitely and, if it is not to remain in effect indefinitely, shall state the period for which it is to remain in effect.

(6) A scheme under this section may include provision relating to—

(a) the method by which information to be collected or provided under the scheme is to be analysed;

(b) the form in which such information is to be collected or provided;

(c) the ownership of information collected or provided under the scheme;

(d) the method by which information is to be transferred or stored under the scheme;

(e) the persons to whom information collected or provided under the scheme may, or must not, be disclosed;

(f) bearing the costs of the scheme.

(7) The provision which may be made by virtue of subsection (6)(f) above includes in particular provision—

(a) for the costs of collecting or providing information of a description specified in the scheme to be borne by the Mayor or a London local authority or by both the Mayor and a London local authority in such proportions as may be specified by or under the scheme;

(b) for the recovery of costs related to the scheme by the Mayor from a London local authority, by a London local authority from the Mayor or by a London local authority from another such authority.

(8) A scheme under this section may contain such supplementary provision as the Mayor considers necessary or expedient.

(9) The powers of the Mayor under this section are without prejudice to any other power of the Mayor under or by virtue of this Act to require any London local authority to provide information.

(10) For the purposes of this section “London local authority” means a London borough council or the Common Council.

398 Schemes for the provision of information by London councils: supplementary

(1) Where—

(a) a scheme is made by virtue of subsection (2) of section 397 above, but

(b) the agreement of at least two-thirds of the London local authorities is not given to the scheme as mentioned in subsection (4) of that section,

the Mayor may apply to the Secretary of State for a direction that the scheme is to have effect so as to be binding on all those authorities.

(2) A direction by the Secretary of State under subsection (1) above shall specify the date from which the scheme is to have effect by virtue of the direction.

(3) Before giving a direction under subsection (1) above the Secretary of State shall consult each London local authority and may give such a direction only if he considers—

(a) that the provision of information of the description which may be required by the Mayor to be provided under the scheme is necessary for the exercise of functions of the Authority; and

(b) that the provisions of the scheme will not impose an unreasonable financial burden on the London local authorities.

(4) For the purposes of any scheme made by virtue of subsection (2) of section 397 above each London local authority shall have power to collect any information which is required to be provided by that authority to the Mayor under the scheme.

(5) For the purposes of this section a London local authority means a London borough council or the Common Council.

399 Revocation or variation of information schemes

(1) A scheme under section 397 above may at any time—

(a) be revoked by the Mayor; or

(b) be varied by the Mayor in accordance with the terms of the scheme or by agreement between the Mayor and at least two-thirds of the London local authorities.

(2) Before deciding whether to revoke or vary a scheme by virtue of subsection (1) above the Mayor shall consult each London local authority.

(3) Where the Mayor revokes or varies a scheme by virtue of subsection (1) above he shall notify each London local authority of the revocation or variation.

(4) For the purposes of this section “London local authority” means a London borough council or the Common Council.