Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929
Encyclopedia
The Local Government Act 1929 (19 & 20 Geo 5 c. 25) reorganised local government
in Scotland from 1930, introducing joint county councils, large and small burgh
s and district councils. The Act also abolished the Scottish poor law
system with institutions passing to the local authorities.
The Act was drafted by Walter Elliot, the Unionist (Conservative
) politician who became later (1936) Secretary of State for Scotland
.
were dissolved. Their responsibilities regarding poor law passed to the county council, other powers passing to the new district councils.
had been established for each county in 1662, but had lost most of their powers to the county councils formed in 1890. Their remaining powers were to form part of a standing joint committee which acted as the police authority for the county. The 1929 Act dissolved the standing committees and the commissioners ceased to exist.
The county and city education authorities that had been formed in 1919 were also abolished, with their functions and powers passing to the counties and counties of cities.
The remaining burghs were to be known as "small burghs". In their case many of their powers now passed to the county council.
The Act did not contain a list of large and small burghs. They were eventually listed in the schedule to the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947
.
Where any of the merging towns was a royal burgh this status was to be continued in the united burgh.
and Perth
, and of Nairn and Moray
were to be combined. The counties were to continue to exist, with individual county councils being elected, but they were to form a joint county council. The joint council was, however, permitted to delegate functions to either of the individual county councils.
The council was to be partly directly elected and partly chosen by the town councils of large burghs. Each large burgh was to nominate one (or more depending on population) members of the town council to the county council. The rest of the county was divided into electoral divisions (consisting of landward parishes) and small burghs, each returning single members.
The reconstituted county councils were elected in November and December 1929.
by 1 February 1930, dividing the lanndward part of the county into districts. The original bill had not included district councils, with the county council assuming all powers outside burghs. The intermediate level of administration was introduced following backbench
pressure.
Each district was to consist of one or more electoral divisions used for electing county councillors. The scheme specified the number of elected councillors. The county councillors elected for the division were to be ex officio members of the district council. The first elections of district councillors took place on 8 April 1930.
It was not required for districts to be formed in Kinross-shire
and Nairnshire unless the joint county council so directed. In the event, a district council was formed for the landward part of Nairnshire, but Kinross-shire
county council performed the functions of a district council.
‡ Outside large burghs
† Where the burgh had a population of 50,000 or more, or had a separate police force in existence.
Local government of Scotland
Local government in Scotland is organised through 32 unitary authorities designated as Councils which consist of councillors elected every four years by registered voters in each of the council areas....
in Scotland from 1930, introducing joint county councils, large and small burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
s and district councils. The Act also abolished the Scottish poor law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
system with institutions passing to the local authorities.
The Act was drafted by Walter Elliot, the Unionist (Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
) politician who became later (1936) Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State for Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
.
Abolition of parish councils
The parish councils that had been introduced by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It created a Local Government Board for Scotland, and replaced existing parochial boards with parish councils....
were dissolved. Their responsibilities regarding poor law passed to the county council, other powers passing to the new district councils.
Abolition of Commissioners of Supply and Education Authorities
Commissioners of SupplyCommissioners of Supply
Commissioners of Supply were local administrative bodies in Scotland from 1667 to 1930. Originally established in each sheriffdom to collect tax, they later took on much of the responsibility for the local government of the counties of Scotland. In 1890 they ceded most of their duties to the county...
had been established for each county in 1662, but had lost most of their powers to the county councils formed in 1890. Their remaining powers were to form part of a standing joint committee which acted as the police authority for the county. The 1929 Act dissolved the standing committees and the commissioners ceased to exist.
The county and city education authorities that had been formed in 1919 were also abolished, with their functions and powers passing to the counties and counties of cities.
Large burghs and small burghs
A number of burghs (generally those with a population of 20,000 or more) became "large burghs". Most of the powers previously exercised by the county council in their area were transferred to the town council of the burgh.The remaining burghs were to be known as "small burghs". In their case many of their powers now passed to the county council.
The Act did not contain a list of large and small burghs. They were eventually listed in the schedule to the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947
The Local Government Act 1947 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in Scotland, on 1 October 1947....
.
United burghs
The Act united a number of adjacent burghs under a single town council (listed in Schedule 2):- KilrennyKilrennyKilrenny is a village in Fife, Scotland. Part of the East Neuk, it lies immediately to the north of Anstruther on the south Fife coast....
, Anstruther Easter and Anstruther Wester - Elie, Liberty & Williamsburgh and Earlsferry
- BonnyriggBonnyriggBonnyrigg is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, eight miles southeast of Edinburgh city centre. The town had a population of 11,260 in the 1991 census which has risen to 14,457 according to the 2001 census. Along with Lasswade, Bonnyrigg is a twin town with Saint-Cyr-l'École, France.- History :Early...
and LasswadeLasswadeLasswade is a civil parish and village in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River North Esk, nine miles south of Edinburgh city centre, between Dalkeith and Loanhead... - Blairgowrie and RattrayBlairgowrie and RattrayBlairgowrie and Rattray and Raitear is possibly from an English language cognate of Gaelic ràth, meaning fortress + a Pictish term cognate with Welsh tref, meaning settlement) is a twin burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Amongst locals, the town is colloquially known simply as "Blair"...
- KirkcaldyKirkcaldyKirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
and Dysart
Where any of the merging towns was a royal burgh this status was to be continued in the united burgh.
Combined counties and joint county councils
For most local government purposes the counties of KinrossKinross-shire
Kinross-shire or the County of Kinross is a registration county, electoral ward and historic county in the Perth and Kinross council area in the east central Lowlands of Scotland...
and Perth
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, and of Nairn and Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
were to be combined. The counties were to continue to exist, with individual county councils being elected, but they were to form a joint county council. The joint council was, however, permitted to delegate functions to either of the individual county councils.
Reconstituted county councils
With the redistribution of powers between counties, large burghs and small burghs the method of electing the county council was changed.The council was to be partly directly elected and partly chosen by the town councils of large burghs. Each large burgh was to nominate one (or more depending on population) members of the town council to the county council. The rest of the county was divided into electoral divisions (consisting of landward parishes) and small burghs, each returning single members.
The reconstituted county councils were elected in November and December 1929.
District councils
The reconstituted county councils were obliged to submit a district council scheme to the Secretary of State for ScotlandSecretary of State for Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
by 1 February 1930, dividing the lanndward part of the county into districts. The original bill had not included district councils, with the county council assuming all powers outside burghs. The intermediate level of administration was introduced following backbench
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
pressure.
Each district was to consist of one or more electoral divisions used for electing county councillors. The scheme specified the number of elected councillors. The county councillors elected for the division were to be ex officio members of the district council. The first elections of district councillors took place on 8 April 1930.
It was not required for districts to be formed in Kinross-shire
Kinross-shire
Kinross-shire or the County of Kinross is a registration county, electoral ward and historic county in the Perth and Kinross council area in the east central Lowlands of Scotland...
and Nairnshire unless the joint county council so directed. In the event, a district council was formed for the landward part of Nairnshire, but Kinross-shire
Kinross-shire
Kinross-shire or the County of Kinross is a registration county, electoral ward and historic county in the Perth and Kinross council area in the east central Lowlands of Scotland...
county council performed the functions of a district council.
Poor law
Another major effect of the Act was the ending of the Poor Law system, which had largely been administered by the parish councils. Their responsibilities in this area – now known as "Public Assistance" – passed to the county councils, large burghs and counties of cities.Counties of cities
The four royal burghs that were counties of cities were largely unaffected by the Act, except that they assumed responsibility for public assistance and education.Services provided by the councils
Following the reorganisations of 1929 and 1930 the different tiers of Scottish local government were responsible for the following major services:| Type of Local Authority | Services |
|---|---|
| County of City | Police, Education, Public Health, Public Assistance, Housing, Lighting, Drainage |
| County Council | Police, Education, Public Health ‡, Public Assistance ‡ |
| Large Burgh | Police †, Public Health, Public Assistance, Housing, Lighting, Drainage |
| Small Burgh | Housing, Lighting, Drainage |
| District Council | Housing, Lighting, Drainage |
‡ Outside large burghs
† Where the burgh had a population of 50,000 or more, or had a separate police force in existence.