Section 4: Police authorities as best value authorities
124.Section 4 amends section 1 of the Local Government Act 1999 to limit the extent to which the best value provisions of that Act apply to police authorities. Section 4 removes from police authorities the requirement to conduct best value reviews and publish best value performance plans. The overarching best value duty, to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness, will continue to apply.
125.Subsection (1) provides that a police authority is not a best value authority for the purpose of certain provisions in Part 1 of the 1999 Act. Those provisions are:
section 5, under which a best value authority must conduct best value reviews of its functions;
section 6, under which a best value authority must prepare a best value performance plan for each financial year;
sections 7 to 9, which require best value performance plans to be audited and place a duty on the best value authority to publish the auditor’s report; and
sections 13(5) and 15(2)(a) and (b), which will no longer be relevant once a police authority does not have to prepare a best value performance plan.
126.Subsection (2) clarifies that references in other Acts to best value authorities will, if the context allows, continue to include police authorities.