§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister under what circumstances councillors who have made inappropriate appointments of council officers may be surcharged for(a) salary costs, (b) legal costs and (c) medical costs incurred because of the appointments. [174944]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Local Government Act 2000, which provided for the establishment of the Standards Board for England and the new regime for handling allegations of misconduct by councillors, repealed the powers to surcharge councillors.
§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether a local authority has the power to reallocate the duties of a returning officer for local elections when the current returning officer is one of the authority's statutory officers and a designated independent person has been appointed under the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001 to investigate allegations of misconduct by that statutory officer. [174973]
§ Mr. RaynsfordPursuant to section 35(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 non- metropolitan county councils have the power to appoint a returning officer for local elections of councillors of the county, and district councils have the power to appoint a returning officer for elections of councillors of the district and a returning officer for elections of councillors of parishes within the district.
The precise terms of the returning officer's appointment are a matter for the local authority.