The Wheatley Report is the name generally given to the report published in September 1969 by the Royal Commission on Local Government in Scotland, or Wheatley Commission, under the chairmanship of Lord Wheatley. Its recommendations led to a new system of regional and district councils introduced in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973

The Local Government Act 1973 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in Scotland, on May 16, 1975....

.

Background

By the 1960s there was general agreement that the system of local government in Scotland was in need of reform. There were more than four hundred local authorities: 33 county councils (4 of which were paired as "joint county councils" for most purposes), 4 county of city corporations, 197 town councils (administering 21 large burgh

Large burgh

In 1930, the Scottish burghs were split into two types, large burghs and small burghs. The councils of large burghs had more responsibilities and power than those of small burghs....

s and 176 small burgh

Small burgh

Small burghs were units of local government in Scotland created by the Local Government Act 1929 in 1930.The Act reclassified existing burghs into two classes, large and small burghs. While large burghs became largely independent of the county councils of the county in which they lay, small burghs...

s) and 196 district councils. These structures had mainly been introduced in the late 19th century, and were largely based on units that dated back to the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

. There was also no clear division of functions between counties, burghs and districts.

The 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...

 government published a white paper

White paper

A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...

 in June 1963 entitled The Modernisation of Local Government in Scotland (Cmnd.2067). They proposed a reduction in the number of units by the amalgamation of existing authorities. The number of counties would be reduced to between 10 and 15, and they would be given responsibility for major services such as police, education and water supply. Below the counties would be a second tier of councils (which were not named) formed by merging burghs and districts exercising powers over purely local services. It was envisaged that these council areas would have a population of not less than 40,000. The four counties of cities would continue as unitary authorities

Unitary authority

A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...

 with enlarged boundaries where appropriate.

Following a change of government, William Ross

William Ross, Baron Ross of Marnock

William 'Willie' Ross, Baron Ross of Marnock MBE was the longest serving Secretary of State for Scotland, holding office from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976, throughout the Prime Ministership of Harold Wilson....

, the 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...

 in the new Labour Party

Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

 administration, indicated in March 1965 that he did not intend to follow the policy of his predecessor. In February 1966 the Prime Minister

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...

, Harold Wilson

Harold Wilson

James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...

, announced to the Commons that a royal commission

Royal Commission

In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...

 would be appointed to review local administration in Scotland.

Membership of the commission

The royal commission was appointed in May 1966, and had nine members:

• Lord Wheatley, former Solicitor General for Scotland
  Solicitor General for Scotland
  Her Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Government on Scots Law...
  
   and Lord Advocate
  Lord Advocate
  Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
  
  , Labour Party
  Labour Party (UK)
  The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
  
   member of parliament
  Member of Parliament
  A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
  
   for Edinburgh East
  Edinburgh East (UK Parliament constituency)
  Edinburgh East is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
  
   1947 - 1954.
• Betty Harvie Anderson
  Betty Harvie Anderson
  Miss Margaret Betty Harvie Anderson, Baroness Skrimshire of Quarter, OBE, PC, TD, DL was a British Conservative Party politician....
  
  , 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...
  
   MP for East Renfrewshire
  East Renfrewshire (UK Parliament constituency)
  East Renfrewshire is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in Scotland to the south of Glasgow. It elects one Member of Parliament at least once every five years using the First-past-the-post system of voting....
  
   and a former member of Stirling County Council
  Stirlingshire
  Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling is a registration county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the former county town. It borders Perthshire to the north, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.Until 1975 it was a county...
  
  .
• Henry Ballantyne, chairman and managing director of Ballntyne's Knitwear, and a member of the Scottish Economic Planning Council and a fomer provost
  Provost (civil)
  A provost is the ceremonial head of many Scottish local authorities, and under the name prévôt was a governmental position of varying importance in Ancien Regime France.-History:...
  
   of Innerleithen
  Innerleithen
  Innerleithen is a small town in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders.-Etymology:The name "Innerleithen" comes from the Scottish Gaelic meaning "confluence of the Leithen", because it is here that the river joins the Tweed. The prefix "Inner-/Inver-" is common in many Scottish...
  
  .
• Thomas Fraser
  Tom Fraser
  Tom Fraser PC was a Labour Member of Parliament for the Hamilton constituency between 1943 and 1967.He was Minister of Transport from October 16, 1964 until December 23, 1965...
  
  , Labour MP for Hamilton
  Hamilton (UK Parliament constituency)
  Hamilton was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.- History :...
  
   and former Secretary of State for Transport
  Secretary of State for Transport
  The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
  
  .
• Ames Lyell Imrie, City Chamberlain of Edinburgh
  Edinburgh
  Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
  
  .
• Russell Johnston
  Russell Johnston, Baron Russell-Johnston
  David Russell Russell-Johnston, Baron Russell-Johnston, usually known as Russell Johnston, was a leading Scottish Liberal Democrat politician.-Early life:...
  
   Liberal
  Liberal Party (UK)
  The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
  
   MP for Inverness
  Inverness (UK Parliament constituency)
  Inverness was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election....
  
  .
• James McBoyle, Vice-President of the Royal Institute of Public Administration and former county clerk for Midlothian
  Midlothian
  Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....
  
  .
• H T MacCalman, Chairman of the Clyde Valley Regional Planning Committee, senior partner in a Glasgow legal firm and an ex-member of Glasgow Corporation
• Patrick Connor, regional officer for Scotland for the Amalgamated Engineering Union and member of the Scottish Economic Planning Council.

Evidence heard

The Commission heard evidence from a number of interested parties. There was general agreement that there needed to be a reduction in the number of local authorities, and that a new two-tier structure should be formed. Among the bodies that gave evidence were:

• The National Association of Local Government Officers
  National Association of Local Government Officers
  The National and Local Government Officers Association was a British trade union representing mostly local government "white collar" workers. It was formed in 1905 as the National Association of Local Government Officers, and changed its full name in 1952 while retaining its widely-used acronym,...
  
   suggested a system of five regional councils and 60 local councils. The regions would have responsibility for education and social welfare, with other services provided at the local level. The councils would be empowered to levy a local income tax to finance their activities. There should also be a permanent local government advisory council, with the duty of reviewing the structures and functions of the authorities on an ongoing basis. An ombudsman
  Ombudsman
  An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
  
   should also be appointed to address disputes.
• The Confederation of British Industry
  Confederation of British Industry
  The Confederation of British Industry is a British not for profit organisation incorporated by Royal charter which promotes the interests of its members, some 200,000 British businesses, a figure which includes some 80% of FTSE 100 companies and around 50% of FTSE 350 companies.-Role:The CBI works...
  
   also supported a two-tier structure.
• The Council of Scottish Chambers of Commerce envisaged the new upper tier having responsibility for major services such as police, fire services, planning and education. They stressed the importance of maintaining a number of independent police forces in Scotland, rejecting a centralised system as "undesirable and even dangerous".

The report

The commission published its report on 25 September 1969. In the report it was recognised that were four levels of community in Scotland:

• The region
• The district or shire
• The locality (of which there were 100 to 150)
• The parish (of which there were about 800)

Division of functions

The majority of the commissioners, as expected, recommended a two-tier structure, split between the regional and district level. However, they also suggested that the locality and parish levels could be given a "voice". This would be done by regional authorities choosing to establish "local committees" and by the creation of non-statutory community council

Community council

A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...

s where there was demand. Community councils might be permitted to operate some local services on an agency basis on behalf of district or regional councils.

Regions were to have powers over major planning, social services, housing, police and education; districts over local planning, planning applications, building control, libraries and licensing.

Membership and finance

All members of the proposed councils were to be directly-elected, with a four year term of office. It would be permissible to be a member of both a regional and district council, but an employee of the authority would be ineligible for election. There was to be no upper age limit for candidates. Elections were to be held every two years at either the regional or district level. Councillors were to receive payment for their services, as it was felt that local representatives often made considerable financial sacrifices, and there was no allowance for secretarial or administration costs. Both levels of council were to levy taxes to fund their activities, as this would them more directly accountable to their electorates.

Local government areas

The report divided Scotland into seven regions, subdivided into thirty-seven districts. They are described in the table below in terms of the existing counties

Counties of Scotland

The counties of Scotland were the principal local government divisions of Scotland until 1975. Scotland's current lieutenancy areas and registration counties are largely based on them. They are often referred to as historic counties....

 and counties of cities.

RegionExisting counties and counties of citiesDistricts
Central

• Clackmannanshire
  Clackmannanshire
  Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
  
  
• Part of Fife
  Fife
  Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
  
   (south-western area around Culross
  Culross
  The town of Culross, pronounced "Coo-ros", is a former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland.According to the 2006 estimate, the village has a population of 395...
  
  )
• Part of Perthshire
  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...
  
   (the burghs of Callander, Doune and Dunblane, most of the Western District and the parish of Ardoch)
• Stirlingshire
  Stirlingshire
  Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling is a registration county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the former county town. It borders Perthshire to the north, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.Until 1975 it was a county...
  
   (except the Kilsyth
  Kilsyth
  Kilsyth is a town of 10,100 roughly halfway between Glasgow and Stirling in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.-Location:...
  
   and the area adjacent to Loch Lomond
  Loch Lomond
  Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
  
  )
• Part of West Lothian
  West Lothian
  West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
  
   (north-western area around Linlithgow
  Linlithgow
  Linlithgow is a Royal Burgh in West Lothian, Scotland. An ancient town, it lies south of its two most prominent landmarks: Linlithgow Palace and Linlithgow Loch, and north of the Union Canal....
  
  ) 1. Areas from Perthshire and Stirlingshire 2. Areas from Clackmannanshire, Fife and West Lothian East
• Angus
  Angus
  Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
  
  
• County of the City of Dundee
  Dundee
  Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
  
  
• Part of Fife
  Fife
  Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
  
   (eastern area including Cupar
  Cupar
  Cupar is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland. The town is situated between Dundee and the New Town of Glenrothes.According to a recent population estimate , Cupar had a population around 8,980 making the town the ninth largest settlement in Fife.-History:The town is believed to have...
  
   and St Andrews
  St Andrews
  St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
  
  )
• Part of Kincardineshire
  Kincardineshire
  The County of Kincardine, also known as Kincardineshire or The Mearns was a local government county on the coast of northeast Scotland...
  
   (southern area including Inverbervie
  Inverbervie
  Inverbervie is a small town on the north-east coast of Scotland, south of Stonehaven, in the Aberdeenshire council area.The Inverbervie name derives from Inbhir Beirbhe, meaning Mouth of the River Bervie in Scottish Gaelic.-History:...
  
  , Laurencekirk
  Laurencekirk
  Laurencekirk is a small town in the ancient county of Kincardineshire, modern county of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, just off the A90 Dundee to Aberdeen main road. It is the largest settlement in the Howe o' the Mearns area and houses the local secondary school; Mearns Academy, which was awarded the...
  
   and St Cyrus
  St Cyrus
  St Cyrus is a village located in the extreme south of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-General information:...
  
  )
• 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...
  
  
• Perthshire
  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...
  
   (except parts in Central Region) 3. Dundee and surrounding areas including Longforgan
  Longforgan
  Longforgan is a village and parish in the Carse of Gowrie, in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It lies west of Dundee on the main A90 road.-History:...
  
   from Perthshire, Monifieth
  Monifieth
  Monifieth is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated on the North bank of the Firth of Tay on the East Coast...
  
   from Angus, Newport on Tay and Tayport
  Tayport
  Tayport is located in Fife, Scotland.Te oportet alte ferri - "It is encumbent on you to carry yourself high." This actually a rather terrible pun on:"Tayport at auld Tay Ferry"....
  
   from Fife 4. Angus (except areas in Dundee district), area from Kincardineshire 5. Area from Fife (except areas in Dundee district) 6. Kinross-shire and area from Perthshire Highlands and Islands
• Argyll
  Argyll
  Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
  
   (less Cowal area)
• Banffshire
  Banffshire
  The County of Banff is a registration county for property, and Banffshire is a Lieutenancy area of Scotland.The County of Banff, also known as Banffshire, was a local government county of Scotland with its own county council between 1890 and 1975. The county town was Banff although the largest...
  
   (south west only)
• Caithness
  Caithness
  Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
  
  
• Inverness-shire
  Inverness-shire
  The County of Inverness or Inverness-shire was a general purpose county of Scotland, with the burgh of Inverness as the county town, until 1975, when, under the Local Government Act 1973, the county area was divided between the two-tier Highland region and the unitary Western Isles. The Highland...
  
  
• Part of 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 :...
  
   (the burgh of Grantown-on-Spey
  Grantown-on-Spey
  Grantown-on-Spey is a town in the Highland Council Area in Scotland.It was founded in 1765 as a planned settlement on a low plateau at Freuchie beside the river Spey at the northern edge of the Cairngorm mountains, about 20 miles South East of Inverness .It is the main town in what was the...
  
   and the District of Cromdale
  Cromdale
  Cromdale is a village in Highland, Scotland and one of the ancient parishes which formed the combined ecclesiastical parish of "Cromdale, Inverallan and Advie" in Morayshire....
  
  )
• Nairnshire
• Orkney
• Ross and Cromarty
  Ross and Cromarty
  Ross and Cromarty is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use...
  
  
• Sutherland
  Sutherland
  Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
  
  
• Zetland 7. Caithness and north east Sutherland 8. Most of Sutherland and Tain area of Ross and Cromarty 9. Most of mainland Ross and Cromarty 10. Western Isles 11. Lochaber area of Inverness-shire, Isle of Skye, north west Argyll 12. Southern and western Argyll 13. Nairnshire, east Inverness-shire, southern Moray, southern Banffshire 14. Orkney and Shetland North East
• County of the City of Aberdeen
  Aberdeen
  Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
  
  
• Aberdeenshire
  Aberdeenshire
  Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
  
  
• Banffshire
  Banffshire
  The County of Banff is a registration county for property, and Banffshire is a Lieutenancy area of Scotland.The County of Banff, also known as Banffshire, was a local government county of Scotland with its own county council between 1890 and 1975. The county town was Banff although the largest...
  
   (less area in Highlands and Islands)
• Kincardineshire
  Kincardineshire
  The County of Kincardine, also known as Kincardineshire or The Mearns was a local government county on the coast of northeast Scotland...
  
   (less area in East region)
• 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 :...
  
   (except area in Highlands and Islands) 15. City of Aberdeen and adjoining areas of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire 16. Eastern Banffshire and north west Aberdeenshire 17. Moray and western Banffshire 18. Central and southern Aberdeenshire, northern Kincardineshire South East
• East Lothian
  East Lothian
  East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
  
  
• County of the City of Edinburgh
  Edinburgh
  Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
  
  
• Fife
  Fife
  Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
  
   (except areas in Central and East regions)
• Midlothian
  Midlothian
  Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....
  
  
• Peebles-shire
• Roxburghshire
  Roxburghshire
  Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
  
   (less Castleton and Newcastleton areas)
• Selkirkshire
  Selkirkshire
  Selkirkshire or the County of Selkirk is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Peeblesshire to the west, Midlothian to the north, Berwickshire to the north-east, Roxburghshire to the east, and Dumfriesshire to the south...
  
  
• West Lothian
  West Lothian
  West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
  
   (less area in Central region) 19. Berwickshire, Peebles-shire, Roxburghshire (less areas in South West region), Herot and sow area of Midlothian 20. East Lothian and most of Midlothian 21. City of Edinburgh and surrounding areas of Midlothian and West Lothian 22. West Lothian 23. Part of Fife centred on Dunfermline
  Dunfermline
  Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
  
  24. Part of Fife centred on Kirkcaldy
  Kirkcaldy
  Kirkcaldy 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...
  
  South West
• Dumfriesshire
  Dumfriesshire
  Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries is a registration county of Scotland. The lieutenancy area of Dumfries has similar boundaries.Until 1975 it was a county. Its county town was Dumfries...
  
  
• Kirkcudbright
  Kirkcudbrightshire
  The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright or Kirkcudbrightshire was a county of south-western Scotland. It was also known as East Galloway, forming the larger Galloway region with Wigtownshire....
  
  
• Part of Roxburghshire
  Roxburghshire
  Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
  
   (Castleton and Newcastleton areas)
• Wigtownshire
  Wigtownshire
  Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown is a registration county in the Southern Uplands of south west Scotland. Until 1975, the county was one of the administrative counties used for local government purposes, and is now administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway...
  
  25. Wigtownshire 26. Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbright, part of Roxburghshire West
• Part of Argyll
  Argyll
  Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
  
   (Cowal)
• Ayrshire
  Ayrshire
  Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
  
  
• Bute
• Dunbartonshire
  Dunbartonshire
  Dunbartonshire or the County of Dumbarton is a lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Until 1975 it was a county used as a primary unit of local government with its county town and administrative centre at the town...
  
  
• County of the City of Glasgow
  Glasgow
  Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
  
  
• Lanarkshire
  Lanarkshire
  Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
  
  
• Renfrewshire
  Renfrewshire
  Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
  
  
• Part of Stirlingshire
  Stirlingshire
  Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling is a registration county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the former county town. It borders Perthshire to the north, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.Until 1975 it was a county...
  
   (Kilsyth area) 27. Southern Ayrshire 28. Northern Ayrshire, part of Lanarkshire (Hamilton
  Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
  Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
  
   and East Kilbride
  East Kilbride
  East Kilbride is a large suburban town in the South Lanarkshire council area, in the West Central Lowlands of Scotland. Designated as Scotland's first new town in 1947, it forms part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation...
  
   areas) and part of Bute (Isle of Arran
  Isle of Arran
  Arran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and with an area of is the seventh largest Scottish island. It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire and the 2001 census had a resident population of 5,058...
  
   and Isle of Cumbrae) 29. Part of Argyllshire (Cowal) and Part of Bute (Isle of Bute
  Isle of Bute
  Bute is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Formerly part of the county of Buteshire, it now constitutes part of the council area of Argyll and Bute. Its resident population was 7,228 in April 2001.-Geography:...
  
  ) 30. Southern Lanarkshire including Biggar
  Biggar
  - Places :* Biggar, Cumbria, England* Biggar, Saskatchewan, Canada* Biggar, South Lanarkshire, Scotland- Electoral districts :* Biggar , provincial electoral district since 2002...
  
   and Lanark
  Lanark
  Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade"....
  
  31. Part of Lanarkshire around Motherwell
  Motherwell
  Motherwell is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, south east of Glasgow. The name "Moderwelt" appears on a map of Lanarkshire made by Timothy Pont some time between 1583 and 1611 and printed in the Netherlands in around 1652, although the settlement was probably little more...
  
  32. Western Dunbartonshire 33. Western Renfrewshire including Greenock
  Greenock
  Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
  
   and Port Glasgow
  Port Glasgow
  Port Glasgow is the second largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16617 persons...
  
  34. Part of Lanarkshire around Coatbridge
  Coatbridge
  Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
  
  35. Part of Dunbartonshire (Cumbernauld
  Cumbernauld
  Cumbernauld is a Scottish new town in North Lanarkshire. It was created in 1956 as a population overspill for Glasgow City. It is the eighth most populous settlement in Scotland and the largest in North Lanarkshire...
  
   area), part of Stirlingshire
  Stirlingshire
  Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling is a registration county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the former county town. It borders Perthshire to the north, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.Until 1975 it was a county...
  
   (Kilsyth area) 36. Most of Renfrewshire 37. Glasgow and surrounding areas of Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire including Bearsden
  Bearsden
  Bearsden ) is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the northwestern fringe of Greater Glasgow, approximately from the City Centre, and is effectively a suburb, with housing development coinciding with the introduction of a railway line in 1863, and from where the town gets its name...
  
  , Clydebank
  Clydebank
  Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
  
  , Bishopbriggs
  Bishopbriggs
  Bishopbriggs is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. The area was once part of the historic parish of Cadder - originally lands granted by King William the Lion to the Bishop of Glasgow, Jocelin, in 1180. It was later part of the county of Lanarkshire and subsequently an independent burgh from...
  
   and Rutherglen
  Rutherglen
  Rutherglen is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. In 1975, it lost its own local council and administratively became a component of the City of Glasgow. In 1996 Rutherglen was reallocated to the South Lanarkshire council area.-History:...
  
  

Minority report

Two members of the commission (Anderson and Johnston) dissented on the number of districts that should be created and on the division of powers, feeling that local planning should be a regional function and that the second tier should be formed at the "locality" level with as many as 101 authorities.

They also felt that Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles should have a special status between that of region and district.

Reaction and subsequent legislation

Following the publication of the report there was a twelve week period in which the existing local authorities could give their response. The report was debated in the House of Commons on 14 October 1969. The Secretary of State stated that following the receipt of the councils' observations the government would produce a white paper with final decisions on structures, boundaries and functions.

Following the 1970 general election

United Kingdom general election, 1970

The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...

 the Conservatives returned to power, and in February 1971 produced a white paper Reform of Local Government in Scotland (Cmnd. 4583). This broadly accepted the report's recommendations but increased the number of regions to eight by separating the Borders

Scottish Borders

The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...

 from the South East region. There were some changes in regional boundaries while the districts of Shetland and Orkney were to become "special areas", with the Highlands and Islands region renamed "Highlands". The number of remaining districts was increased by 14 from 35 to 49.

Local authorities were asked to make their observations on the proposals by 30 April 1971.

On 22 December 1971 the Secretary of State, Gordon Campbell

Gordon Campbell, Baron Campbell of Croy

Gordon Thomas Calthrop Campbell, Baron Campbell of Croy, MC, PC, DL , born in Lossiemouth, Moray, and a Scottish Conservative & Unionist politician....

, made a parliamentary statement outlining the government's response to the observations received.

The main points that had been raised were:

• The West Region was too large.
• Residents of Fife, which was divided between three regions, wanted it to form a separate region.
• The Western Isles comprising Lewis, Harris, the Uists and Barra should be a special area with status similar to Orkney and Shetland.

The government accepted the formation of a Western Isles islands area, but rejected the creation of a Fife region. The number of districts on the mainland were to be unchanged, although there were 19 changes to district boundaries, including the transfer of
Newport, Tayport and adjacent parishes transferred from Dundee district to North Fife. In addition there were to be six changes to regional boundaries. The number and boundaries of the new authorities were confirmed in a circular, along with suggested names. Among changes to regional names were Forth (South East), Strathclyde (West) Dumfries and Galloway (South West).

The Local Government (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Commons on 17 November 1972. During the passage of the Bill through parliament a number of changes were made:

• Fife became a separate region.
• The Forth region, having lost an area to the new Fife region was renamed Lothian.
• Strathclyde was increased in size.
• The number of districts in Strathclyde was increased from 13 to 19: 4 were broken off from Glasgow District, while 2 were formed in Ayrshire.
• There were a number of boundary changes to districts.

The Bill received the royal assent

Royal Assent

The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...

on 25 October 1973, and on 16 May 1975 the system of nine regions, 53 districts and 3 islands areas came into existence.