Without prejudice to section 111 above but subject to the provisions of this Act, a local authority shall appoint such officers as they think necessary for the proper discharge by the authority of such of their or another authority’s functions as fall to be discharged by them and the carrying out of any obligations incurred by them in connection with an agreement made by them in pursuance of section 113 below.

An officer appointed under subsection (1) above shall hold office on such reasonable terms and conditions, including conditions as to remuneration, as the authority appointing him think fit.

Subject to subsection (4) below, any enactment or instrument made under an enactment which requires or empowers all local authorities or local authorities of any description or committees of local authorities to appoint a specified officer shall, to the extent that it makes any such provision, cease to have effect.

The reference in this section to committees of local authorities does not include a reference to any committee of which some members are required to be appointed by a body or person other than a local authority.

Without prejudice to the provisions of subsection (1) above, a parish or community council may appoint one or more persons from among their number to be officers of the council, without remuneration.

Nothing in this section affects the operation of section 5 of the 1963 Act or the M3Local Authorities (Goods and Services) Act 1970.

Without prejudice to any powers exercisable apart from this section, a local authority may enter into an agreement with another local authority for the placing at the disposal of the latter for the purposes of their functions, on such terms as may be provided by the agreement, of the services of officers employed by the former, but shall not enter into any such agreement with respect to any officer without consulting him.

For superannuation purposes service rendered by an officer of a local authority whose services are placed at the disposal of another local authority in pursuance of this section is service rendered to the authority by whom he is employed, but any such officer shall be treated for the purposes of any enactment relating to the discharge of local authorities’ functions as an officer of that other local authority.

An officer whose services are placed at the disposal of a local authority in pursuance of subsection (1A) of this section shall be treated as an officer of the authority for the purposes of any enactment relating to the discharge of local authorities’ functions.

In subsection (1A) above F18“Local Health Board” means a Local Health Board established under section 11 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006, “NHS trust” means a National Health Service trust established under F19section 25 of the National Health Service Act 2006 or section 18 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006F20and “Primary Care Trust” means a Primary Care Trust established under F21section 18 of the National Health Service Act 2006.

A local authority shall, in the case of an officer employed by them, whether under this or any other enactment, who by reason of his office or employment is likely to be entrusted with the custody or control of money, and may in the case of any other officer employed by them, take such security, for the faithful execution of his office and for his duly accounting for all money or property which may be entrusted to him, as the local authority consider sufficient.

A local authority may, in the case of a person not employed by them but who is likely to be entrusted with the custody or control of money or property belonging to the local authority, take such security as they think sufficient for the person duly accounting for all such money or property.

A local authority shall defray the cost of any security taken under this section, and every such security shall be produced to the auditor at the audit of the accounts of the local authority.

Every officer employed by a local authority, whether under this Act or any other enactment, shall at such times during the continuance of his office or within three months after ceasing to hold it, and in such manner as the local authority direct, make out and deliver to the authority, or in accordance with their directions, a true account in writing of all money and property committed to his charge, and of his receipts and payments, with vouchers and other documents and records supporting the entries therein, and a list of persons from whom or to whom money is due in connection with his office, showing the amount due from or to each.

Every such officer shall pay all money due from him to the proper officer of the local authority or in accordance with their directions.

If it comes to the knowledge of an officer employed, whether under this Act or any other enactment, by a local authority that a contract in which he has any pecuniary interest, whether direct or indirect (not being a contract to which he is himself a party), has been, or is proposed to be, entered into by the authority or any committee thereof, he shall as soon as practicable give notice in writing to the authority of the fact that he is interested therein.

For the purposes of this section an officer shall be treated as having indirectly a pecuniary interest in a contract or proposed contract if he would have been so treated by virtue of section 95 above had he been a member of the authority.

An officer of a local authority shall not, under colour of his office or employment, accept any fee or reward whatsoever other than his proper remuneration.

Any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) or (2) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding F24level 4 on the standard scale.

References in this section to a local authority shall include references to a joint committee appointed under Part VI of this Act or any other enactment.

If, on the death of any person who is or has been an officer of a local authority, there is due to him or his legal personal representatives from a local authority a sum not exceeding £500 and not being a pension, allowance or gratuity payable by virtue of section 7 of the M4Superannuation Act 1972, the authority may, without requiring the production of probate or letters of administration of the estate of the officer, pay the whole or any part of that sum to the officer’s personal representatives or to the person, or to or among any one or more of any persons, appearing to the authority to be beneficially entitled to the estate of the officer, and any person to whom such a payment is made, and not the authority, shall be liable to account for the sum paid to him under this subsection.

The authority may, if they think fit, pay out of the said sum the funeral expenses of the officer or so much thereof as they consider reasonable F26. . .

Subsection (1) above shall be included among the provisions with respect to which the Treasury may make an order under section 6(1) of the M5Administration of Estates (Small Payments) Act 1965, substituting for references to £500 references to such higher amount as may be specified in the order.

Where provision has been made by regulations under section 7(1)(b) of the said Act of 1972 with respect to the pensions, allowances or gratuities which in certain circumstances are to be, or may be, paid to or in respect of any persons or classes of persons, the Secretary of State may by regulations provide for the application of the foregoing provisions of this section to such of those persons or classes of persons as may be specified in the regulations.