Localism Bill

180: Clause 18, leave out Clause 18 and insert the following new Clause— ““Register of interests (1) The monitoring officer of a relevant authority must establish and maintain a register of interests of members and co-opted members of the authority. (2) Subject to the provisions of this Chapter, it is for a relevant authority to determine what is to be entered in the authority’s register. (3) Nothing in this Chapter requires an entry to be retained in a relevant authority’s register once the person concerned— (a) no longer has the interest, or (b) is (otherwise than transitorily on re-election or re-appointment) neither a member nor a co-opted member of the authority. (4) In the case of a relevant authority that is a parish council, references in this Chapter to the authority’s monitoring officer are to the monitoring officer of the parish council’s principal authority. (5) The monitoring officer of a relevant authority other than a parish council must secure— (a) that a copy of the authority’s register is available for inspection at a place in the authority’s area at all reasonable hours, and (b) that the register is published on the authority’s website. (6) The monitoring officer of a relevant authority that is a parish council must— (a) secure that a copy of the parish council’s register is available for inspection at a place in the principal authority’s area at all reasonable hours, (b) secure that the register is published on the principal authority’s website, and (c) provide the parish council with any data it needs to comply with subsection (7). (7) A parish council must, if it has a website, secure that its register is published on its website. (8) Subsections (5) to (7) are subject to section (Sensitive interests)(2). (9) In this Chapter ““principal authority””, in relation to a parish council, means— (a) in the case of a parish council for an area in a district that has a district council, that district council, (b) in the case of a parish council for an area in a London borough, the council of that London borough, and (c) in the case of a parish council for any other area, the county council for the county that includes that area. (10) In this Chapter ““register””, in relation to a relevant authority, means its register under subsection (1).””