This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Local Governance Bill
28/05/2003
THE LOCAL GOVERNANCE (SCOTLAND) BILL
The Bill will:
- Introduce the Single Transferable Vote (STV) for
local authority elections
- bring the age for standing as a councillor (21)
into line with the voting age (18)
- remove unnecessary political restrictions on
standing for local authority elections
- establish an independent remuneration committee for
councillors
- bring forward severance and pension arrangements
for councillors
Background
Following consultation on the Local Government White
Paper
Renewing Local Democracy: The Next Steps
the Executive confirmed on September 24, 2002, that it
would publish a Local Governance Bill which would include
the STV.
On November 19, 2002, the Executive announced that as
well as providing for the introduction of the Single
Transferable Vote, the Local Governance Bill would also
introduce a number of other issues intended to improve
local democracy.
The draft Local Governance (Scotland) Bill was published
on February 4, 2003. It was made clear that the Bill would
be available to the new Executive for decision following
the elections in May.
Key proposals in the Bill include:
- Provisions for a new electoral system which will
introduce the STV as the alternative choice to the
First Past the Post system for local authority
elections
- The abolition of the current system of allowances
for councillors
- The introduction of a new system of remuneration
for councillors based on the payment of a salary
- The introduction of a pension scheme for
councillors to allow future service to count for
pension purposes
- A proposed independent remuneration panel which
would be tasked with making recommendations on the
detailed arrangements for, and the level of,
councillors remuneration to reflect more closely their
current roles and responsibilities
- A number of changes to the existing restrictions on
council employees wishing to stand for election to
their employing authority
The Bill is scheduled for approval during the term of
the current Parliament.