A council must operate a committee system unless the council decides to operate executive arrangements or prescribed arrangements.

A decision to operate executive arrangements or prescribed arrangements must be taken by a qualified majority.

Executive arrangements must conform with any provisions made by or under this Act which relate to such arrangements (see, in particular, Part 6).

A committee system must conform with any provisions made by or under this Act which relate to such a system (see, in particular, Part 4).

In this Part—

• “executive arrangements” means arrangements by a council—

  1. a

     for and in connection with the creation and operation of an executive of the council, and

  2. b

     under which certain functions of the council are the responsibility of the executive;

• “committee system” means arrangements made by a council, which does not operate executive arrangements or prescribed arrangements, for or in connection with the discharge of its functions in accordance with Part 4;

• “prescribed arrangements” means such arrangements as may be prescribed in regulations made under section 20.