The Local Authorities (Overview and Scrutiny Committees) (England) Regulations 2012

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Section 9F of the Local Government Act 2000 (“the 2000 Act”) requires all local authorities operating executive arrangements to have one or more committees to scrutinise the actions of the executive and the authority, and provide overview of matters affecting the authority’s area and the inhabitants of that area (“overview and scrutiny” committees). The effect of the Regulations is to give overview and scrutiny committees power to obtain information from their relevant partner authorities, and to ensure that executives of local authorities exclude confidential information when publishing their responses to reports and recommendations of overview and scrutiny committees.

Part 1 sets out preliminary matters and defines terms used in more than one Part of the Regulations. Part 2 is made under section 9FI of the 2000 Act and sets out what information overview and scrutiny committees can obtain from certain other public bodies that are relevant partners of the authority.

Part 3 deals with exclusion of exempt and confidential information when executives of local authorities publish their responses to reports and recommendations of overview and scrutiny committees under section 9FE of the 2000 Act.

Part 4 revokes the Local Authorities (Overview and Scrutiny Committees) (England) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1919).

A full impact assessment has not been produced in relation to this to these Regulations as no impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.