Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
|
|
| Long title | An Act to transfer to county councils and to the town councils of certain burghs in Scotland functions of existing local authorities relating to poor relief, lunacy and mental deficiency, education, public health, and other matters; to amend the law relating to local government in Scotland; to extend the application of the Rating and Valuation (Apportionment) Act, 1928, to lands and heritages in which no persons are employed, to net and cruive salmon fishings and to minerals let but unworked; to grant relief from rates in the case of the lands and heritages in Scotland to which that Act applies; to discontinue grants from the Exchequer for certain purposes in Scotland and to provide other grants in lieu thereof; and for purposes consequential on the matters aforesaid. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 19 & 20 Geo. 5. c. 25 |
| Territorial extent | Scotland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 10 May 1929 |
| Commencement | 16 May 1930 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repeals/revokes |
|
| Repealed by | Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947 |
|
Status: Partially repealed
|
|
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk | |
The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 was a very important law. It changed how local areas in Scotland were managed. This Act started a big reorganisation of local government in 1930. It created new types of councils, like joint county councils, and changed how towns (called burghs) were run.
One of the biggest changes was ending the old "Poor Law" system in Scotland. This system helped people who were poor or in need. After the Act, local authorities took over these responsibilities. The Act was written by Walter Elliot, a politician who later became the Secretary of State for Scotland.
Contents
Ending Old Councils and Laws
This Act got rid of some older ways of managing local areas. It aimed to make local government simpler and more effective.
Parish Councils and Poor Law System
Before this Act, local areas were often managed by "parish councils." These councils were created in 1894. They were in charge of many things, including the "Poor Law" system. The Poor Law helped people who were struggling financially or needed support.
The 1929 Act dissolved these parish councils. Their duties for helping the poor were given to the larger county councils. Other duties went to new "district councils." This change meant a big shift in how social support was provided. It moved from small local groups to bigger, more organised councils.
Abolishing Commissioners of Supply
Another old group that was removed by the Act was the "Commissioners of Supply." These commissioners had been around since 1667. They used to manage taxes and some other local matters. By 1890, they had lost most of their power to the new county councils.
Their last main job was to help manage the police force for each county. The 1929 Act officially ended their role. It also abolished the education authorities that had been set up in 1919. Their responsibilities for schools and learning were also passed to the county councils.
Changes for Towns (Burghs)
The Act made big changes to how towns, known as "burghs," were governed. Before 1929, some larger burghs were quite independent. They had their own police forces or were important "royal burghs." This meant they didn't have to follow the county councils.
Large Burghs and Small Burghs
The 1929 Act changed this system. It brought almost all burghs under the control of a county council. The only exceptions were four very large cities: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. These cities were called "counties of cities" and kept most of their independence.
The Act divided other burghs into two types:
- Large burghs: These generally had a population of 20,000 or more. They kept many of their own powers to manage their towns.
- Small burghs: These were smaller towns. They gave up many of their powers to the county council.
Councillors for the county councils were chosen in a new way. Some were directly elected by people living outside the burghs. Others were chosen by the town councils of the burghs. A councillor from a burgh could not vote on things the county council didn't handle in their burgh. The Act didn't list which burghs were large or small. That list came later in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947.
United Burghs
The Act also merged some towns that were close to each other. They would then be governed by a single town council. For example, Kilrenny, Anstruther Easter, and Anstruther Wester became one united burgh. Other examples included Bonnyrigg and Lasswade, and Kirkcaldy and Dysart. If any of the merging towns were "royal burghs," that special status continued for the new united burgh.
Changes to County Councils
The Act also changed how county councils worked. For most local government tasks, some smaller counties were combined. For example, Kinross and Perth counties worked together. Also, Nairn and Moray counties joined forces.
These counties still existed separately, and they still elected their own individual county councils. However, they also formed a "joint county council" to handle many shared responsibilities. This joint council could also let the individual county councils do some tasks on their own.
The way county councillors were elected also changed. The council was partly elected directly by the people. The rest were chosen by the town councils of the large burghs. Each large burgh would nominate one or more members from their town council to join the county council. The rest of the county was divided into areas for elections. The first elections for these new county councils happened in late 1929.
District Councils
The new county councils had to create a plan for "district councils." These councils would manage the areas of the county that were outside of any burghs. The original idea for the Act didn't include district councils. County councils were supposed to handle everything outside the burghs. But, other politicians pushed for an intermediate level of local management.
Each district was made up of one or more election areas used for county councillors. The county councillors elected for these areas automatically became members of the district council. The first elections for district councillors took place in April 1930.
District councils were not required in Kinross-shire and Nairnshire unless the joint county council decided they were needed. Nairnshire did form a district council. However, Kinross-shire's county council decided to perform the duties of a district council itself.
Services Provided by Councils
After these big changes in 1929 and 1930, different levels of Scottish local government were responsible for different services:
| Type of local authority | Services |
|---|---|
| County of city | Police, Education, public health, public assistance, housing, lighting, drainage |
| County council | Police, education, public health, public assistance |
| Large burgh | Police, public health, public Assistance, housing, lighting, drainage |
| Small burgh | Housing, lighting, drainage |
| District council | Housing, lighting, drainage |
See also
- List of local government areas in Scotland 1930–75
