Statutory authorities in England and Wales

Abstract

Local government in England and Wales, outside London, was completely reorganised on 1 April 1974, when the Local Government Act 1972 came into force and this remains one of the most important statutes setting out local authority powers and duties. The Labour Government elected in 1997 carried out a reform of local government in England and Wales. The Local Government Act 1997 sets out statutory powers for a local authority to enter into contracts. Local authorities are legal persons with corporate status, capable of suing and being sued in the courts, entrusted by Parliament with a range of functions over a precisely limited geographical area. The enactment of the Human Rights Act 1998 has added a significant new dimension to the statutory duties of local authorities. Local authorities, like other public bodies, are now subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.