§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what duty exists for local authorities to ensure that the boundaries of any neighbourhood council of committees which they may constitute, as part of a programme of devolving their powers to localities and communities, are determined fairly and impartially.
§ Mr. CurryIt is for the individual local authorities to decide the boundaries of any neighbourhood council or committee which they establish. But the membership of any committee or sub-committee of a local authority to which the authority delegates its powers must, under the provisions of section 15 of the Housing and Local Government Act 1989, reflect the overall political balance of the authority.
Also, all councillors must sign a declaration of acceptance of office which includes an undertaking that they will be guided by the national code of local government conduct in the performance of their duties as councillors. Among other things, the code states that a councillors overriding duty is to the whole local community and that they have a special duty to their constituents including those who did not vote for them.