conduct a review of such areas in England as are specified in the direction or are of a description so specified; and

independently of any reviews under subsection (1) above, to conduct periodic reviews of every principal area in England for the purpose of determining whether recommendations should be made for electoral changes in that area; and

to reflect the identities and interests of local communities; and

to secure effective and convenient local government.

a structural change is the replacement, in any non-metropolitan area, of the two principal tiers of local government with a single tier;

a boundary change is any of the changes specified in subsection (3) below, whether made for the purpose of facilitating a structural change or independently of any such change; and

an electoral change is a change of electoral arrangements for any local government area, whether made in consequence of any structural or boundary change or independently of any such change;

the reference to a non-metropolitan area is a reference to any area which is or, as a result of any recommended boundary change would be, a non-metropolitan county or a non-metropolitan district; and

the alteration of a local government area, including the alteration of so much of the boundary of any such area as lies below the high-water mark of medium tides, but excluding the extension of any local government area into Wales;

the constitution of a new local government area of any description outside Greater London by the amalgamation of two or more such areas of the like description or by the aggregation of parts of such areas of the like description or by the separation of part of any local government area;

the abolition of a principal area of any description outside Greater London, or of a metropolitan county, and its distribution among other areas of the like description;

the constitution of a new London borough by the amalgamation of two or more London boroughs or by the aggregation of parts of London boroughs or by the separation of part of a London borough;

the abolition of a London borough and the distribution of its area among other London boroughs;

the abolition of a parish, with or without the distribution of its area among other parishes.

the abolition of any local authority whose functions would all vest in another as a result of any recommended structural change or whose area would be abolished or otherwise substantially affected by any recommended boundary change;

the establishment, as a county or district council, of a new authority for any area which would result from any recommended boundary change involving the amalgamation or aggregation of areas or parts of areas or involving other substantial alterations of areas;

the extent to which a structural or boundary change requires (whether because functions become vested in an authority for a smaller area or for any other reason connected with the change) that joint arrangements should be made in relation to functions affected by the change; and

for an existing county council to become the district council for any area comprising a part of a county or for any two or more such areas; or

for an existing district council to become the county council for an area comprising any one or more districts.

a metropolitan district and a non-metropolitan district shall be regarded as local government areas of a like description and so shall a metropolitan county and a non-metropolitan county; and

any county or district resulting from the amalgamation or aggregation of the whole or any part of a metropolitan area with the whole or any part of a non-metropolitan area shall be regarded as a non-metropolitan county or, as the case may be, district.

the direction requiring that review to be conducted;

any other directions under this Part which are relevant to the review; and

the period within which representations with respect to the subject-matter of the review may be made.

the fact that the Commission is to conduct a periodic review of that area;

any directions under this Part which are relevant to the review; and

the period within which representations with respect to the subject-matter of the review may be made.

take into consideration any representations made to it within the period mentioned in subsection (1)(c) or (2)(c) above;

prepare draft recommendations and take such steps as it considers sufficient to secure that persons who may be interested in the recommendations are informed of them and of the period within which representations with respect to them may be made;

deposit copies of the draft recommendations at the principal office of any principal council appearing to that Commission to be likely to be affected by them; and

take into consideration any representations made to that Commission within that period.

submit such a report to him together with its recommendations;

take such steps as it considers sufficient to secure that persons who may be interested in the recommendations are informed of them and of the period within which they may be inspected; and

deposit copies of the recommendations at the principal office of any principal council appearing to that Commission to be likely to be affected by them.

to take sufficient steps to secure that persons who may be interested in the matters which are the subject of review are informed of them and of the period within which representations about them may be made;

to take into consideration any such representations made to them within that period; and

to inform any person who has made representations of the recommendations which are made to the Electoral Commission.

the area of any authority and the name of any such area;

the name of any authority;

the establishment of any new authority for any county or district or the winding up and dissolution of any existing authority;

the total number of councillors of any authority, the apportionment of councillors among electoral areas, the assignment of existing councillors to new or altered electoral areas, and the first election of councillors for any new or altered electoral area;

without prejudice to paragraph (d) above, the holding of a fresh election of councillors for all electoral areas in a local government area where substantial changes have been made to some of those areas, or the order of retirement of councillors for any electoral areas in the local government area in question;

in the case of an order relating to the system of election of district councillors, the ordinary year of election and the order of retirement of parish councillors for any parish situated in the district;

the constitution and election of public bodies in any area affected by the order;

the abolition or establishment, or the restriction or extension, of the jurisdiction of any public body in or over any part of any area affected by the order.

shall, for any financial year beginning at the same time as or after the coming into force of the change, be a billing authority for the purposes of Part I of the M4Local Government Finance Act 1992 in relation to their area; and

shall not, for any such year, be a major precepting authority for those purposes.

shall include provision for any district the council for which are, under the order, to have the functions of a county council in relation to that district to be treated as a county for the purposes of the M5Police Act 1964; and

may provide, for the purposes of the approval or making of an amalgamation scheme under Part I of that Act, that the area of a district in relation to which the council of any county affected by the order are to have any functions is to be treated as an area that would become a police area by virtue of the order.

shall provide that, subject to any combination scheme under the M6Fire Services Act 1947, any district the council for which are, under the order, to have the functions of a county council in relation to that district is to become the area of a fire authority for the purposes of that Act; and

may provide, for the purposes of the making of any combination scheme under that Act, that the area of any district in relation to which the council of any county affected by the order are to have any functions is to be treated as an area that would become the area of a fire authority by virtue of the order.

his powers under Part I of the M7Police Act 1964 to approve or make an amalgamation scheme; or

his powers under the M8Fire Services Act 1947 to approve or make a combination scheme,

the transfer of functions, property, rights or liabilities from a local authority for any area to another local authority whose area consists of or includes the whole or any part of that area;

the transfer of property, rights or liabilities, and of related functions, from an authority which ceases to exist to a residuary body established under section 22 below;

the management or custody of transferred property (whether real or personal);

for the transfer or retention of any property, rights and liabilities, with or without conditions, and for the joint use of any property;

for the making of payments by either party to the agreement in respect of property, rights and liabilities so transferred or retained, or of such joint use, and in respect of the remuneration or compensation payable to any person; and

for the making of any such payment either by way of a capital sum or of a terminable annuity.

agreed on by the parties; or

in default of agreement, appointed by the Secretary of State;

might be the subject of provision contained in an agreement under this section; and

is the subject of such a dispute between two or more public bodies as is not resolved by or under provision contained in any order or regulations under this Part.

have not been made by the authorities in whom those functions are to be or have been vested;

will not be in force when the structural or boundary change in question comes into force; or

have ceased or will cease to be in operation,

to any of the authorities for whose areas the joint authority is established; or

to any body established in pursuance of any joint arrangements made by or in relation to those authorities,

for excluding any functions, or any functions in any area, from those falling to be carried out by a joint authority; and

for giving effect (with or without modifications) to any scheme submitted to him under a provision made by virtue of subsection (3) above and for the dissolution of a joint authority.

make provision with respect to the constitution and membership of a residuary body;

make provision with respect to the powers of a residuary body to make levies and to borrow and lend money and the treatment and distribution of capital and other money by such a body;

make provision with respect to the keeping and auditing of accounts of a residuary body;

make provision with respect to directions which may be given by the Secretary of State in relation to the carrying out by a residuary body of any of its functions;

make provision for enabling the Secretary of State to require a residuary body to submit to him a scheme for the winding up of the body and the disposal of its property, rights and liabilities and related functions; and

without prejudice to the generality of paragraphs (a) to (e) above, make any such provision with respect to a residuary body as was made by Part VII of the M1Local Government Act 1985 with respect to the residuary bodies established by that Part.

for the transfer to any other body or bodies (including any body or bodies corporate established under the order for the purpose) of any property, rights or liabilities, and any related functions, of a residuary body; and

for giving effect (with or without modifications) to any scheme submitted to him under a provision made by virtue of subsection (2)(e) above and for the dissolution of a residuary body.

considering and keeping under review the arrangements for the recruitment of staff by relevant authorities affected by orders under this Part and for the transfer, in consequence of the provisions of any such order, of staff employed by such authorities;

considering such staffing problems arising in consequence of such an order, and such other matters relating to staff employed by any such authority, as may be referred to the staff commission by the Secretary of State; and

advising the Secretary of State on the steps necessary to safeguard the interests of such staff;

the supply of any information requested and the implementation of any advice given by a staff commission; and

the payment by such an authority of any expenses incurred by a staff commission in doing anything requested by the authority.

where any report or proposals were submitted by the predecessor Commission to the Secretary of State under Part IV of the 1972 Act before the commencement of this section, the provisions of that Part, and of any regulations made under that Part, that cease to have effect for other purposes by virtue of this Act shall continue to have effect for the purpose of enabling effect to be given (with or without modifications) to those proposals and otherwise in relation to that report and those proposals; and

where the Local Government Commission undertakes a review under this Part of any area which was the subject of a review which was being conducted by the predecessor Commission at the commencement of this section, the Secretary of State may, by a direction to the Local Government Commission, dispense in relation to that review with such of the requirements of section 15 above as appear to him to be inappropriate in the light of any steps taken before the commencement of this section by the predecessor Commission.

it effects a structural change;

it establishes a joint authority for two or more local government areas; or

it effects only electoral changes or relates only to parishes.

to apply with or without modifications;

to extend, exclude or amend; or

to repeal or revoke with or without savings,

for legal proceedings commenced by or against any body to be continued by or against a body to whom functions, property, rights or liabilities are transferred;

for the transfer of staff, compensation for loss of office, pensions and other staffing matters; and

for treating any body to whom a transfer is made for some or all purposes as the same person in law as the body from whom the transfer is made.

a mistake has occurred in the preparation of an order under any provision of this Part; and

the mistake is such that it cannot be rectified by a subsequent order made under that provision by virtue of section 14 of the M10Interpretation Act 1978 (implied power to amend),

until the commencement of section 24 above, as including a reference to the Local Government Commission; and

thereafter, as if they were references to the Local Government Commission or the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales.