Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007

3 Invitations, directions and proposals: supplementary

(1) A direction under section 2—

(a) may not be given after 25 January 2008; and

(b) may be given on or before that date only where the Secretary of State believes that giving the direction would be in the interests of effective and convenient local government.

(2) A direction under section 2 may specify a date by which a proposal must be made.

(3) An invitation under section 2 may specify a date by which a proposal may be made.

(4) A proposal made by virtue of section 2 may not specify an area as one for which there should be a single tier of local government unless the whole or any part of that area is currently a two-tier area (as defined by section 23(2)).

(5) In responding to an invitation under section 2, or complying with a direction under that section, an authority must have regard to any guidance from the Secretary of State as to—

(a) what a proposal should seek to achieve;

(b) matters that should be taken into account in formulating a proposal.

(6) Where invitations or directions under section 2 are given to more than one authority, any authority that has received an invitation or direction may respond to the invitation, or comply with the direction, either by—

(a) making its own proposal in accordance with the invitation or direction; or

(b) making a proposal, in accordance with the invitation or direction, jointly with any of the other authorities.

(7) An invitation or direction under section 2 may be varied or revoked.

(8) But a direction under section 2 may not be varied after 25 January 2008 if—

(a) the direction as originally given required the making of a Type A or Type B proposal; and

(b) the direction as varied would require or permit the making of a Type C or combined proposal.