The LGR Joint Committee

Before elections for the new authority take place, the Structural Changes Order (SCO) will require relevant constituent authorities to set up a joint committee to manage transitional functions during this period. Once the shadow authority takes over, the joint committee will be dissolved. 

Establishing a joint committee

The SCO will typically require councils to form a joint committee within 14 days of the order coming into force. The committee will be created under section 101 (5) of the Local Government Act 1972 and will handle transitional responsibilities.

Even though the SCO mandates that joint committees are formed, it doesn't create them - each constituent authority's cabinet needs to pass a resolution to establish one. The SCO will also specify the number of members of the joint committee, who will be nominated by each of the constituent councils in the area concerned.

A template report for the necessary recommendations (agreed by all monitoring officers and chief executives) is a good way to approach this, to cover key decisions such as nominations, chairing, administration of the joint committee (which will likely need an Inter-authority agreement as to the arrangements), voting requirements, schedule of meetings and any sub-committees or working-groups. The report must be approved by the constituent authorities’ cabinets before the first joint committee meeting.

Functions of the joint committee

The SCO will set out the joint committee's functions during the transitional period, which would likely include:

• Preparing for and facilitating the economic, effective, efficient and timely transfer to the unitary authority of the functions, property, rights and liabilities as related to the member authorities and their residents;
• preparing and maintaining an implementation plan; and
• formulating proposals for a members’ code of conduct, members' allowance scheme and appointment of interim chief officers to be recommended to the shadow authority.

Preparing for the joint committee 

Local authorities should be thinking about who they'd nominate for the joint committee, what its terms of reference would be and how the meetings would be run. These arrangements can be included in a draft SCO for the Secretary of State’s consideration before it is made. 

In preparation for the first joint committee meeting, local authorities will need to agree on the contents of the committee's first reports. The agenda might include:

• Choosing a chair and vice chair
• Reviewing the implementation plan
• Setting up the implementation team 
• Planning the upcoming work programme
• Agreeing on the dates and location of meetings

For more information

For more information on setting up a joint committee or local government reorganisation in general, visit our local government reorganisation hub.