The Local Government (Exemption from Competition) (Scotland) Order 1995

Citation, commencement and extent

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Local Government (Exemption from Competition) (Scotland) Order 1995 and shall come into force on 31st March 1995.

(2) This Order shall extend to Scotland only.

Interpretation and application

2.—(1) In this Order, unless the context otherwise requires—

“the Act” means the Local Government Act 1988;

“the exemption end date” shall be construed in accordance with article 7;

“the exempt period” means (subject to article 8) the period from 31st March 1995 until (but not including) the exemption end date;

“existing contract” means a contract, for the carrying out of work falling within a defined activity to which this Order applies, entered into prior to 31st March 1995 but shall not include any arrangement made by a local authority for the carrying out of functional work through their direct labour organisation or a similar organisation;

“local authority” means—

(a)

prior to 1st April 1996, a regional, islands or district council or any joint board or joint committee within the meaning of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973(1); and

(b)

on and after 1st April 1996, a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 or any joint board or joint committee within the meaning of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

(2) Except where the context otherwise requires, any reference to Part I of the Act or to any numbered section or subsection of Part I of the Act shall be taken as a reference to that Part, section or subsection, as it has effect immediately before the coming into force of this Order(2), and any reference in this Order to a numbered article, paragraph or Schedule shall be taken as a reference to the article, paragraph or Schedule, as the case may be, bearing that number in this Order or in that article, as the case may be.

(3) This Order shall apply to the defined activities specified at section 2(2)(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (ee), (f) and (g) of the Act(3).

3.  Subject to the provisions of this Order, Part I of the Act shall, from 31st March 1995 to 31st December 2000, apply to local authorities, subject to the modifications specified in Schedule 1.

Transitional provisions and savings

4.  Nothing in this Order shall affect any existing contract nor in particular shall entitle a local authority to terminate or vary an existing contract before the expiry of the period during which any work is to be carried out in terms of section 7(3)(c) of the Act.

5.  The modifications to section 11 of the Act specified at paragraph 9 of Schedule 1 shall have effect only in relation to a financial year beginning after 31st March 1995.

6.  Nothing in this Order shall affect the obligations of local authorities arising under Part I of the Act as regards any financial year up to and including the financial year beginning 1st April 1994 and, without prejudice to the powers of the Secretary of State contained in section 14(3) to (4C) of the Act(4), nothing in this Order shall—

(a) affect either the terms of, or the duty of a local authority to comply with, a direction issued under section 14(2) of the Act (whether served before, after or on 31st March 1995); or

(b) affect the duty of a local authority to comply with Part I of the Act in implementing or fulfilling the conditions specified in a direction issued under section 14(2)(c) or (d) of the Act (whether served before, after or on 31st March 1995).

Provision as to end of exemption

7.—(1) In respect of each local authority specified in column 1 of Schedule 2, the exemption end date for that authority is—

(a) in respect of collection of refuse, the date specified opposite that authority in column 2 of that Schedule;

(b) in respect of cleaning of buildings, the date specified opposite that authority in column 3 of that Schedule;

(c) in respect of other cleaning, the date specified opposite that authority in column 4 of that Schedule;

(d) in respect of catering for purposes of schools and welfare, the date specified opposite that authority in column 5 of that Schedule;

(e) in respect of other catering, the date specified opposite that authority in column 6 of that Schedule;

(f) in respect of maintenance of ground, the date specified opposite that authority in column 7 of that Schedule;

(g) in respect of repair and maintenance of vehicles, the date specified opposite that authority in column 8 of that Schedule; and

(h) in respect of managing sports and leisure facilities, the date specified opposite that authority in column 9 of that Schedule.

(2) In respect of any joint committee or joint board, the exemption end date shall be 1st July 1998 in respect of each of the defined activities to which this Order applies.

Transitional provision as to end of exemption

8.—(1) For the purposes of section 6(6) of the Act (as inserted by paragraph 4 of Schedule 1), the exempt period, in respect of particular work shall, provided that the authority concerned complies with the requirement specified in paragraph (2), be treated as continuing until the beginning (in accordance with regulation 3 of the Local Government (Direct Service Organisations) (Competition) Regulations 1993(5)) of the period during which that work is to be carried out.

(2) The requirement referred to in paragraph (1) is that the announcement of the decision by the authority (in accordance with regulation 5(b) of the said Regulations of 1993) as to who shall carry out the work described in the notice required by section 7(1) of the Act is made on a date prior to the exemption end date.

George Kynoch

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Scottish Office

St Andrew’s House,

Edinburgh

8th March 1995