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68
BRITAIN: AN OFFICIAL HANDBOOK
authorities in the spending of money in their own areas. The Local Government
Act has also provided for some devolution of responsibility for county services to
the councils of some of the larger county districts, and has established machinery
for the review and alteration of local government areas and authorities in England
(outside Greater London) and Wales.
Relationship between Central and Local Government
As the supreme authority in the United Kingdom, Parliament controls local
authorities through Acts of Parliament, which require or permit elected local
councils to implement policies prescribed and defined in those Acts. The scope of
local government is limited by the same means; no council may go beyond the
bounds fixed for its activities by an Act of Parliament.
Legislation is supported by departmental supervision: Parliament makes certain
ministers responsible for securing the efficient functioning of local government
services. Departmental supervision is exercised by means of inspections, inquiries,
examinations of statistics, authorisation of loans, the issue of advisory circulars and
statutory instruments, the approval of byelaws, and the administration of Govern¬
ment grants. The Ministry of Housing and Local Government is the main link
between local authorities and the central Government in England and Wales; in
Scotland the Scottish Home Department is generally responsible for local govern¬
ment; and in Northern Ireland the Ministry of Health and Local Government.
Principal Types of Local Authority
For purposes of local government, England and Wales and Northern Ireland are
divided into county boroughs and administrative counties. Administrative counties
are further divided into three types of county district: municipal or non-county
boroughs; urban districts; and rural districts, which are themselves sub-divided
into parishes (except in Northern Ireland). Each of these divisions is administered
by a different kind of local council, as follows:
England and Wales1
county councils (61) rural district councils (474)2
county borough councils (83) parish councils (some 7,500) or
non-county borough councils (318) parish meetings (some 3,300)'
urban district councils (563)
Northern Ireland
county councils (6) urban district councils (25)
county borough councils (2) town commissioners (1)
borough councils (9) rural district councils (31)
Scotland
The local authorities in Scotland are:
county councils (33, of which two pairs are combined for certain purposes)
town councils (198, consisting of: the authorities for counties of cities, 4; other
large burghs, 20; and small burghs, 174)
district councils (199; two counties are not divided into districts).
1 Excluding the county of London.
2 Including the Isles of Scilly.
BRITAIN: AN OFFICIAL HANDBOOK
authorities in the spending of money in their own areas. The Local Government
Act has also provided for some devolution of responsibility for county services to
the councils of some of the larger county districts, and has established machinery
for the review and alteration of local government areas and authorities in England
(outside Greater London) and Wales.
Relationship between Central and Local Government
As the supreme authority in the United Kingdom, Parliament controls local
authorities through Acts of Parliament, which require or permit elected local
councils to implement policies prescribed and defined in those Acts. The scope of
local government is limited by the same means; no council may go beyond the
bounds fixed for its activities by an Act of Parliament.
Legislation is supported by departmental supervision: Parliament makes certain
ministers responsible for securing the efficient functioning of local government
services. Departmental supervision is exercised by means of inspections, inquiries,
examinations of statistics, authorisation of loans, the issue of advisory circulars and
statutory instruments, the approval of byelaws, and the administration of Govern¬
ment grants. The Ministry of Housing and Local Government is the main link
between local authorities and the central Government in England and Wales; in
Scotland the Scottish Home Department is generally responsible for local govern¬
ment; and in Northern Ireland the Ministry of Health and Local Government.
Principal Types of Local Authority
For purposes of local government, England and Wales and Northern Ireland are
divided into county boroughs and administrative counties. Administrative counties
are further divided into three types of county district: municipal or non-county
boroughs; urban districts; and rural districts, which are themselves sub-divided
into parishes (except in Northern Ireland). Each of these divisions is administered
by a different kind of local council, as follows:
England and Wales1
county councils (61) rural district councils (474)2
county borough councils (83) parish councils (some 7,500) or
non-county borough councils (318) parish meetings (some 3,300)'
urban district councils (563)
Northern Ireland
county councils (6) urban district councils (25)
county borough councils (2) town commissioners (1)
borough councils (9) rural district councils (31)
Scotland
The local authorities in Scotland are:
county councils (33, of which two pairs are combined for certain purposes)
town councils (198, consisting of: the authorities for counties of cities, 4; other
large burghs, 20; and small burghs, 174)
district councils (199; two counties are not divided into districts).
1 Excluding the county of London.
2 Including the Isles of Scilly.
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| Britain and UK handbooks > Britain: An official handbook > 1959 > (88) |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/204571707 |
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| Description | 'Britain: An official handbook' was produced annually by the Central Office of Information from 1954-1998. There are 44 volumes available here to view. |
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| Shelfmark | GII.11 |
| Description | Three titles produced by the British Government from 1954-2005 describing 'how Britain worked'. They are: 'Britain: An official handbook' (1954-1998), 'Britain: The official yearbook of the United Kingdom' (1999-2001), and 'UK: The official yearbook of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland' (2002-2005). These 50 reports provide an overview of Britain's economic, social and cultural affairs, its environment, international relations, and the systems of government. They give an impartial summary of government policies and initiatives, and explain how public services are organised. |
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