Part IIS Local Administration

[F129A Consideration of adverse reports.S

(1)Subject to subsection (3) below, any power of an authority to have their functions discharged by any person or body of persons acting for the authority shall, as respects the consideration of a further report of the Commissioner under section 29(2A) of this Act, be subject to the restriction that, if it is proposed to take no action on, or not the action recommended in, the report, consideration of the report shall be referred to the authority.

(2)Consideration of a further report of the Commissioner under section 29(2A) of this Act by—

(a)any such committee as is mentioned in [F2section 23(2)(d)] of this Act; or

(b)an education committee appointed under section 124 of the Act of 1973;

shall be subject to a corresponding restriction.

(3)The restriction imposed by subsections (1) and (2) above does not apply where the report recommends action to be taken by F3. . .—

(a)[F4a joint committee]established under section 56 of the Act of 1973 F5. . .; or

[F6(b)a joint board referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (2) of section 23 of this Act (fire and police joint boards) or a joint committee referred to in paragraph (e) of that subsection (local government and teachers’ superannuation joint committees)]

(4)If an authority considering a further report of the Commissioner under section 29(2A) of this Act take into consideration a report by a person or body with an interest in the Commissioner’s report, they shall not conclude their consideration of the Commissioner’s report without also having taken into consideration a report by a person or body with no interest in the Commissioner’s report.

(5)No member of an authority to which this Part of this Act applies or of a committee [F7or board] mentioned in subsection (2) or (3) above shall vote on any question with respect to a report or further report under this Part of this Act in which he is named and criticised by the Commissioner.]