(1)Each successor authority shall as soon as may be after the passing of this Act or, in the case of a new authority, after it is established, and in any event before the abolition date consider what additional staff (if any) it will require for the purpose of—
(a)discharging any functions which by virtue of any provision made by or under this Act will become functions of that authority or will become exercisable by it alone instead of concurrently with the Greater London Council or a metropolitan county council; or
(b)discharging its responsibilities in respect of any property transferred to it by virtue of any such provision.
(2)If a successor authority proposes to engage a person who is currently in the employment of the Greater London Council or a metropolitan county council it shall, if reasonably practicable, enter into, or offer to enter into, a contract of employment with him such that his employment by the authority will or would take effect either immediately on the ending of his employment by that council or after an interval of not more than four weeks thereafter.
(3)If a successor authority enters into a contract of employment with a person who has received or is entitled to receive a redundancy payment under Part VI of the M1Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978—
(a)by reason of his dismissal at any time after the passing of this Act by the Greater London Council or a metropolitan county council; or
(b)by virtue of section 59(1) below,
the authority shall, if the Secretary of State so directs, pay to the appropriate residuary body an amount equal to that payment.
(4)The Secretary of State shall not give a direction under subsection (3) above in respect of the employment of any person by a successor authority if the authority satisfies him—
(a)that it could not reasonably have made that person an offer of employment on the terms and conditions of the contract mentioned in that subsection which, if accepted by him, would have precluded his entitlement to the redundancy payment; or
(b)that the authority has made such an offer but that the person concerned acted reasonably in refusing it or that he could reasonably have refused such an offer if it had been made by the authority.
(5)In any case in which an amount is payable by a successor authority under subsection (3) above there shall also be payable by it to the appropriate residuary body an amount equal to any compensation under the regulations referred to in section 53(2) above which has been paid or is payable to the person concerned before the time when he enters into the contract.
(6)A former member of a successor authority shall not be disqualified by virtue of section 116 of the principal Act for being appointed by that authority to a paid office if—
(a)he is, or at any time between the passing of this Act and the abolition date has been, in the employment of the Greater London Council or a metropolitan county council; and
(b)he is appointed not later than twelve months after that date and with the consent of the Secretary of State.
(7)For the purposes of subsection (2) above employment ending on a Friday or a Saturday shall be treated as ending immediately before the following Monday and the interval of four weeks shall be calculated as if any such employment had ended at that time.
(8)In this section “successor authority” means a London borough council, the Common Council, a metropolitan district council and a new authority.