§ Ms CoffeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what measures he has taken to enable directly elected mayors to operate in local councils. [47609]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Local Authorities (Elected Mayor and Mayor's Assistant)(England) Regulations 2002 have been laid before Parliament today. These provide for directly elected mayors to be treated as councillors for74W the purpose of certain legislation. This means that certain provisions which currently apply only to councillors will be extended to apply to elected mayors.
In particular, the Regulations extend the permission to appoint a political assistant, which is currently enjoyed by political groups in local authorities to mayors. We are doing this in preparation for the arrival of the first directly elected mayors in councils, following elections being held on 2 May. A mayor's assistant will be subject to the same rules as apply to assistants for political groups who are already employed by local authorities and appointed by political groups.
As with local authority political assistants now, a mayor's assistant will be a politically restricted post for the purposes of s1 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. This means they will be disqualified from becoming members of the local authority by which they are employed. In addition, mayor's assistants will not be able to discharge any functions of the local authority or the executive. The only staff which may work under the direction of a mayor's assistant are those providing the assistant or the mayor with clerical or secretarial support. A mayor's assistant will be subject to the same salary limit as a political assistant is now. This is set by the Secretary of State through an Order under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and is at present £25,044.