Local government

 

What has the Scottish Parliament done?

Here are a few examples of what has been done in this area:

Legislation

• Local Electoral Administration (Scotland) Act 2011

This act established an Electoral Management Board for Scotland and extended the Electoral Commission’s remit to include Scottish local government elections.

• Summary (91KB pdf)

• Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004

Among other things, this act introduced the Single Transferrable Vote for council elections and changed the minimum age for standing as a councillor from 21 to 18.

• Summary (33KB pdf)

Committee inquiries

• Inquiry into the flexibility and autonomy of local government (2014)

The committee recommended that, subject to minimum standards across the country, each local authority should be free to determine what powers to exercise and that central controls at all levels should be kept to a minimum.

What is the Scottish Parliament doing?

Here is an example of what is currently being done in this area:

• Implications for Scottish Local Government of the United Kingdom Leaving the European Union.

The Local Government and Communities Committee is considering the key implications for Scottish local government of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union.

Follow the work of the Local Government and Communities committee on its webpage.