§ 65. Mr. Hugh D. Brownasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what appointments and dismissals of officials 364W of local authorities require his consent or approval; how many such appointments have been made in each of the past five years and in how many he has withheld such consent or approval.
§ Mr. Ross:The following appointments and dismissals of local authority officials in Scotland require the Secretary of State's consent:
Appointments
- Chief Constables
- Deputy Chief Constables
- Assistant Chief Constables
- Firemasters
- Children's Officers (but see below)
- Public Analysts
- Agricultural Analysts
- Deputy Agricultural Analysts
- Inspectors and Official Samplers under the Fertilizer and Feeding Stuffs Act 1926
- Engineers of Water Boards established under the Water (Scotland) Act 1967 (for the first three years of a Board's existence only)
Dismissals
- Chief Constables
- Deputy Chief Constables
- Assistant Chief Constables
- Medical Officers of Health
- Sanitary Inspectors
- Public Analysts
- Valuation Assessors
During the past five years the following such appointments have been made:—
1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 Chief Constables 4 2 2 1 2 Deputy Chief Constables — 1 1 2 5 Assistant Chief Constables — — — — 3 Firemasters 1 1 1 — 2 Children's Officers 3 6 6 8 6 Public Analysts — — 1 — — Agricultural Analysts — — 1 — 2 Inspectors and Official Samplers (Joint Appointments) 8 1 — 2 3 Engineers of Water Boards — — — — 1 In only one case (the appointment of a Deputy Chief Constable in 1966) was the Secretary of State's consent withheld. In a number of cases the Secretary of State, in commenting on full and short leets, has indicated that certain candidates were not acceptable or that an appointment should not be made.
In the case of Children's Officers the Secretary of State is not required to give direct consent to the appointment of a particular officer: the local authority must send to the Secretary of State particulars of the persons from whom it proposes to select such an officer, and a direction may be given prohibiting the appointment of any person who, in the 365W Secretary of State's opinion is not fit for the post. In the last five years directions that 16 individuals were not suitable have been given in respect of three appointments.