Local Government and Housing Act 1989

Duty to adopt certain procedural standing orders E+W+S

20 Duty to adopt certain procedural standing orders. E+W+S

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations require relevant authorities, subject to such variations as may be authorised by the regulations—

(a) to incorporate such provision as may be prescribed by the regulations in standing orders for regulating their proceedings and business; and

(b) to make or refrain from making such other modifications of any such standing orders as may be so prescribed.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) above, regulations under this section may require such standing orders as are mentioned in that subsection to contain provision which, notwithstanding any enactment or the decision of any relevant authority or committee or sub-committee of a relevant authority, authorises persons who are members of such an authority, committee or sub-committee—

(a) to requisition meetings of the authority or of any of their committees or sub-committees;

(b) to require a decision of a committee or sub-committee of the authority to be referred to and reviewed by the authority themselves or by a committee of the authority;

(c) to require that a vote with respect to a matter falling to be decided by the authority or by any of their committees or sub-committees is to be taken in a particular manner.

(3) Regulations under this section may contain such incidental provision and such supplemental, consequential and transitional provision in connection with their other provisions as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(4) In this section “relevant authority”—

(a) in relation to England and Wales, means a local authority of any of the descriptions specified in paragraphs (a) to [F1 (jc)] [F2 or (n)] of section 21(1) below [F3 , a corporate joint committee] or any parish or community council; and

(b) in relation to Scotland, means a local authority.

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in s. 20(4)(a) substituted (E.W.) (28.1.2016 for specified purposes, 28.3.2016 in so far as not already in force) by Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 (c. 1), s. 25(2), Sch. 5 para. 12(4)

F2 Words in s. 20(4)(a) inserted (6.9.2015 for specified purposes, 5.5.2017 in so far as not already in force) by Planning (Wales) Act 2015 (anaw 4), ss. 39(5)(b), 58(2)(b)(4)(b); S.I. 2017/546, art. 3(a)

F3 Words in s. 20(4)(a) inserted (W.) (15.7.2022) by The Corporate Joint Committees (General) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/797), regs. 1(2), 15

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 20 applied (S.) (temp.) (6.4.1995 to 1.4.1996) by S.I. 1995/789, art. 2, Sch. entry 11

S. 20 extended (E.W.) (19.9.1995) by 1995 c. 25, ss. 63(5), 125(2), Sch. 7 para. 12(3) (with ss. 7(6), 115, 117, Sch. 8 para. 7)