The Modernisation of Local Government in Scotland (Cmnd. 2067)
White paper published June 27, 1963. Called for creation of "effective and convenient units of local government"
Problems with existing system:
- Nine counties smaller than Rutland in population and rateable value
- Many small burghs
- Large amount of work carrried out by "undemocratic" ad-hoc joint committees
- County councils were only partly directly elected (the landward parts). Burghs nominated the other members, but they could only vote on functions exercised in the burghs.
Proposals:
- Counties of cities unchanged
- Merging of a number of counties: reduction in number from 33 to between 10 and 15
- County councils to be entirely directly elected, with less members
- Counties to be divided into second-tier districts of 40,000 population or more, with elected councils. These would merge burghs and surrounding countryside. Adjoining burghs could be merged. Title of these councils not decided: "burgh councils" or "rural councils" both suggested.
- Existing local authorities and officials from the Scottish Office to form "working parties" to decide on boundaries: this was seen as speedier than the Local Government Commissions as in England and Wales
Division of functions:
- County: Child care, civil defence*, education, fire service, food and drugs regulations, libraries, health and welfare services, major town and country planning, police, remand homes, river pollution, classified roads, valuation, water supply and sewerage.
- Second-tier: allotments, burial and cremation, civil defence*, clean air, coast protection, entertainments, flood prevention, housing, physical training and recreation, public parks and footpaths, scavenging, slaughterhouses, day-to-day town and country planning, unclassified roads, weights and measures.
The white paper was unanimously rejected at the conference of the Scottish Labour Party on April 5, 1964. The conference reccommended than an independent inquiry into local administration in Scotland, including finance, should be held.[3]
Labour won the general election of October 15 1964
The new Secretary of State for Scotland, William Ross, talking at the Scottish National Housing and Town Planning Conference in Peebles on March 5, 1965 intimated that the proposals of the previous government might not be carried out, and stated that the matter would "require to be inquired into on a much more comprehensive and authoritative scale than we have been doing".[4]
The Royal Commission on Local Government in Scotland, chaired by Lord Wheatley was appointed on May 24, 1966[5] Other members were: Betty Harvie Anderson MP, Henry Ballantyne, Tom Fraser MP, Ames Lyall Imrie, Russell Johnston MP, James McBoyle, H T MacCalman, and one other to be appointed. (P Connor later appointed)
The Report of the Royal Commission on Local Government in Scotland 1966 - 69 (Cmnd.4150) was published on September 25 1969.[6]
The Conservatives won the general election of June 18, 1970. On February 16, 1971 the new government issued a white paper, Reform of Local Government in Scotland, which was a modified form of the commission's proposals.[7]
- ^ Reshaping Scotland, The Times, June 28, 1963
- ^ Fewer, Biggger Scots County Councils - Two-Tier Plan in White Paper, The Times, June 28, 1963
- ^ South East plan attacked, The Times, April 4, 1964
- ^ Scots council reform plans changed, The Times, March 6, 1965
- ^ Tasks set for planners of local government - Members of royal commissions named, The Times, May 25, 1966
- ^ Pay for Scottish councillors urged, Two tiers for Scotland, The Times, September 26, 1969
- ^ Scots to follow Wheatley proposals on Regions, The Times, February 17, 1971