Part V General Provisions as to Members and Proceedings of Local Authorities
Restrictions on voting
94 Disability of members of authorities for voting on account of interest in contracts, etc.
(1)
Subject to the provisions of section 97 below, if a member of a local authority has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in any contract, proposed contract or other matter, and is present at a meeting of the local authority at which the contract or other matter is the subject of consideration, he shall at the meeting and as soon as practicable after its commencement disclose the fact and shall not take part in the consideration or discussion of the contract or other matter or vote on any question with respect to it.
(2)
If any person fails to comply with the provisions of subsection (1) above he shall for each offence be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding F1level 4 on the standard scale unless he proves that he did not know that the contract, proposed contract or other matter in which he had a pecuniary interest was the subject of consideration at that meeting.
(3)
A prosecution for an offence under this section shall not be instituted except by or on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
(4)
A local authority may by standing orders provide for the exclusion of a member of the authority from a meeting of the authority while any contract, proposed contract or other matter in which he has a pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, is under consideration.
(5)
The following, that is to say—
(a)
the receipt by the chairman, vice-chairman or deputy chairman of a principal council of an allowance to meet the expenses of his office or his right to receive, or the possibility of his receiving, such an allowance;
(b)
the receipt by a member of a local authority of an allowance or other payment under any provision of sections 173 to 176 below F2or paragraph 25 of Schedule 2 to the Police Act 1996. . . F3or under any scheme made by virtue of section 18 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 or his right to receive, or the possibility of his receiving, any such payment;
shall not be treated as a pecuniary interest for the purposes of this section.