§ 42. Mr. Traceyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to prevent council officials from pursuing full-time political activities.
§ Mr. WaldegraveNo. It is implicit in the power to employ staff that their employment is necessary for the discharge of an authority's functions. Employees may, however, properly be allowed some time off to carry out other public duties. It would be for an authority's auditor to decide, in a particular case, both whether an individual's employment was justified and whether the amount of time off allowed represented a reasonable expenditure of ratepayers' money. Full-time pursuit of 115W other activities at the employing authority's expense is, I believe, an abuse that can already be challenged as contrary to law.