Attendance of officers at party groups
The Conduct of Local Authority Business: The Government Response to the Report of the Widdicombe Committe of Inquiry (Command paper 433, 1988) 5.30 The Government agree broadly with the Committee's proposals which, they consider, give necessary recognition to the forum in which many major issues of council policy are now formulated in many local authorities, and the need for officers to act effectively in giving advice to councillors. The Government propose therefore to recommend the Local Authorities' Conditions of Service Advisory Board to amend the terms and conditions of service to local government officers to make clear that no special inhibition is placed on officers' attendance at party groups. In addition, the Government will encourage local authorities to set out in local conventions details of their arrangements for officer attendance at party group meetings, together with safeguards to ensure that all requests for officer attendance are addressed to the chief executive or appropriate chief officer, who would have responsibility for deciding which officers should attend, and that all substantial party groups on the council are notified and offered this facility. Subject to satisfactory arrangements being made by local authorities, the Government do not propose to legislate on this matter.