54Chief executives
(1)A principal council must appoint a chief executive.
(2)The chief executive of a principal council must—
(a)keep each of the matters specified in subsection (3) under review, and
(b)where the chief executive considers it appropriate to do so, make a report to the council setting out the chief executive’s proposals in respect of any of those matters.
(3)The matters are—
(a)the manner in which the exercise by the council of its different functions is co-ordinated;
(b)the council’s arrangements in relation to—
(i)financial planning,
(ii)asset management, and
(iii)risk management;
(c)the number and grades of staff required by the council for the exercise of its functions;
(d)the organisation of the council’s staff;
(e)the appointment of the council’s staff;
(f)the arrangements for the management of the council’s staff (including arrangements for training and development).
(4)As soon as reasonably practicable after preparing a report for the purposes of subsection (2)(b), the chief executive of a principal council must arrange for the report to be sent to each member of the council.
(5)A principal council must consider a report made under subsection (2)(b) at a meeting held not more than three months after copies of the report are first sent to members of the council; and section 101 of the 1972 Act (arrangements for discharge of functions by local authorities) does not apply to the duty imposed by this subsection.
(6)A principal council must provide its chief executive with such staff, accommodation and other resources as are, in the chief executive’s opinion, sufficient to allow the chief executive’s duties under this section to be carried out.
(7)Schedule 5 makes consequential amendments.