Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (c. 42)

Part I E+W+S Local Authority Members, Officers, Staff and Committees etc.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Pt. 1 (ss. 1-21) applied (temp. from 4.5.1995 to 31.3.1996) by S.I. 1995/1042, art. 4(1)

Pt. 1 (ss. 1-21): power conferred to make provisions about matters of the kind dealt with in this part (1.9.1997) by 1997 c. 50, s. 44(1), Sch. 4 para. (j)(i); S.I. 1997/1930, art. 2(1)(2)(m) (subject to art. 2(3))

Pt. 1 (ss. 1-21): extended (E.W.) (26.10.2000 for E. and 28.7.2001 for W.) by 2000 c. 22, ss. 23, 108(4), Sch. 1 para. 3(13); S.I. 2000/2849, art. 2(c)

C2 Pt. 1 (ss. 1-21): extended (E.) (6.5.2002) by The Local Authorities (Elected Mayor and Mayor's Assistant) (England) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/975), regs. 1(2), 3(6)

C3 Pt. 1 functions made exercisable by joint standards committees (E.) (15.6.2009) by The Standards Committee (Further Provisions) (England) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1255), regs. 1(1), 14

C4 Pt. 1 applied (E.) (8.5.2017) by The West Midlands Combined Authority (Functions and Amendment) Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/510), arts. 1(2), 23(4)

Appointment and management etc. of staff E+W+S

7 All staff to be appointed on merit. E+W+S

(1) Every appointment of a person to a paid office or employment under—

(a) a local authority or parish or community council in England and Wales, F1 ...

[F2 (aa) an elected local policing body, or]

(b) a local authority in Scotland,

shall be made on merit.

(2) Subsection (1) above applies to all appointments made by, or by any committee of, a local authority or parish or community council, whether made under section 112 of the Local Government Act 1972 or section 64 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (appointment of staff) or otherwise, but has effect subject to—

F3 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F4 (b) section 18 of the M1 Fire Services Act 1947 (regulations as to appointment etc. of chief officers and fire brigades);]

F5 (c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F5 (d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(e) section 113 of the M2 Local Government Finance Act 1988 and section 6 above (qualifications of officers responsible for administration of financial affairs of certain authorities);

F6 (f) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F7 (g) sections 39, 40 and 49 to 51 of the Equality Act 2010 (employees and office-holders), so far as relating to disability, and Schedule 8 to that Act (reasonable adjustments for disabled persons) so far as it applies in relation to sections 39 and 49 to 51 of that Act;] and

[F7 (h) paragraph 1 of Schedule 9 to that Act (occupational requirements), so far as relating to sex, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, gender reassignment or race.]

(3) This section shall come into force at the expiry of the period of two months beginning on the day this Act is passed.

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in s. 7(1)(a) omitted (16.1.2012) by virtue of Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), s. 157(1), Sch. 16 para. 203(a); S.I. 2011/3019, art. 3, Sch. 1

F2 S. 7(1)(aa) inserted (16.1.2012) by Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), s. 157(1), Sch. 16 para. 203(b); S.I. 2011/3019, art. 3, Sch. 1

F3 S. 7(2)(a) omitted (2.12.1996) by virtue of 1995 c. 50, s. 70(4), Sch. 6 para. 5(a) (with ss. 59, 64, 65); S.I. 1996/1474, art. 2(3), Sch. Pt. III

F4 S. 7(2)(b) repealed (E.W.) (1.10.2004 except in relation to W., 10.11.2004 for W.) by Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 (c. 21), s. 61, Sch. 2; S.I. 2004/2304, art. 2; S.I. 2004/2917, art. 2

F5 S. 7(2)(c)(d) repealed (1.10.2010) by 2010 c. 15, Sch. 26 para. 18(a), Sch. 27 Pt. 1 (as amended by The Equality Act 2010 (Consequential Amendments, Saving and Supplementary Provisions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2279), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 5, Sch. 2 (see S.I. 2010/2317, art. 2))

F6 S. 7(2)(f) repealed (1.10.2010) by 2010 c. 15, Sch. 26 para. 18(a), Sch. 27 Pt. 1 (as amended by The Equality Act 2010 (Consequential Amendments, Saving and Supplementary Provisions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2279), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 5, Sch. 2 (see S.I. 2010/2317, art. 2))

F7 S. 7(2)(g)(h) inserted (1.10.2010) by 2010 c. 15, Sch. 26 para. 18(b) (as inserted by The Equality Act 2010 (Consequential Amendments, Saving and Supplementary Provisions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2279), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 5 (see S.I. 2010/2317, art. 2))

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C5 S. 7 extended (E.W.) (19.9.1995) by 1995 c. 25, ss. 63(5), 125(2), Sch. 7 para. 13(7) (with ss. 7(6), 115, 117, Sch. 8 para. 7)

S. 7 applied (8.5.2000) by 1999 c. 29, s. 67(6) (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/801, art. 2(2)(b), Sch. Pt. 2

C6 S. 7 applied (E.) (22.7.2004) by The Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Establishment of Conservation Board) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1777), arts. 1, 17(7)

C7 S. 7 applied (E.) (22.7.2004) by The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Establishment of Conservation Board) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1778), arts. 1, 17(7)(c)

C8 S. 7 excluded (16.1.2012) by Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), s. 157(1), Sch. 3 para. 4(6); S.I. 2011/3019, art. 3, Sch. 1

C9 S. 7 excluded (22.11.2012) by Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), s. 157(1), Sch. 1 para. 8(4); S.I. 2012/2892, art. 2(b)

C10 S. 7 applied (with modifications) (E.) (8.5.2017) by The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (Transfer of Police and Crime Commissioner Functions to the Mayor) Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/470), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 9(5)

Marginal Citations

M1 1947 c. 41.

M2 1988 c. 41.