Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990 which made provision for securing the political balance on certain relevant authorities, committees and bodies and for determining the voting rights of members on certain committees.

Regulation 3 adds to regulation 4 (prescribed functions of authorities where all members of committees discharging those functions may have voting rights) a reference to functions of county councils under paragraph 2 of Schedule 4 to the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, section 7 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, the Cycle Tracks Act 1984 and regulations made under section 7 of the Superannuation Act 1972.

Regulation 4 amends regulation 5(1) to remove an exemption which permitted non-members of certain education committees to be voting members of sub-committees of those committees.

Regulation 5 amends regulations 8, 9, 13 and 14 to allow for any specified member of a political group to act in the place of the leader of the group in relation to the Regulations whether or not the leader is able to act.

Regulation 6 inserts a new regulation 16A which provides an exception to the duty to allocate to political groups seats on certain committees and sub-committees of a county, district and London borough council which are established exclusively to discharge functions or to advise in respect of part of the area of the authority. Regulation 19(c) of the 1990 Regulations, which provided an exception in similar terms in respect of sub-committees, is revoked.