Local Government Act 2000

81 Disclosure and registration of members’ interests etc.E+W

(1)The monitoring officer of each relevant authority must establish and maintain a register of interests of the members and co-opted members of the authority.

(2)The mandatory provisions of the model code applicable to each relevant authority (“the mandatory provisions”) must require the members and co-opted members of each authority to register in that authority’s register maintained under subsection (1) such financial and other interests as are specified in the mandatory provisions.

(3)The mandatory provisions must also—

(a)require any member or co-opted member of a relevant authority who has an interest specified in the mandatory provisions under subsection (2) to disclose that interest before taking part in any business of the authority relating to that interest,

(b)make provision for preventing or restricting the participation of a member or co-opted member of a relevant authority in any business of the authority to which an interest disclosed under paragraph (a) relates.

(4)Any participation by a member or co-opted member of a relevant authority in any business which is prohibited by the mandatory provisions is not a failure to comply with the authority’s code of conduct if the member or co-opted member has acted in accordance with a dispensation from the prohibition granted by the authority’s standards committee[F1, or by the standards committee of another relevant authority,] in accordance with regulations made under subsection (5).

(5)The [F2Welsh Ministers] may prescribe in regulations the

[F3(a)]circumstances in which standards committees may grant dispensations under subsection (4),

[F4(b)procedure to be followed for the granting of dispensations.]

(6)A relevant authority must ensure that

[F5(a)] copies of the register for the time being maintained by their monitoring officer under this section are available at an office of the authority for inspection by members of the public at all reasonable hours,

[F6(b)the register mentioned in paragraph (a) is published electronically.]

(7)As soon as practicable after the establishment by their monitoring officer of a register under this section, a relevant authority must—

(a)publish in one or more newspapers circulating in their area a notice which—

(i)states that copies of the register are available at an office of the authority for inspection by members of the public at all reasonable hours, and

(ii)specifies the address of that office, and

[F7(iii)states that the register is available to be viewed electronically, and

(iv)specifies how to access the electronic version,]

F8(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F9(c)F10... inform the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales that copies of the register are so available.]

[F11(7ZA)But subsections (6) and (7) do not apply to a relevant authority which is a corporate joint committee.

(7ZB)A relevant authority which is a corporate joint committee must publish electronically the register maintained under subsection (1).]

[F12(7A)For the purposes of this section—

(a)section 83(13) does not apply, and

(b)in relation to a relevant authority which is a community council, the references in this section to a monitoring officer are to be read as references to the proper officer of that council (within the meaning of section 270(3) of the Local Government Act 1972).]

F13(8). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .