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The site was last updated on 5 December 2008.

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Scotland    Civil rights    Local government services  

Civil rights - In Scotland

 

 


Local government services

This information applies to Scotland only



Structure of local government

Local government in Scotland is made up of 32 separate local authorities or ‘councils’ which are responsible for providing a full range of services for your local community.

Each local authority has considerable discretion about the departmental structure it can adopt to provide services. This means that a department called for example, "Community Services" may provide the education, social work, housing and community education services. You can access your local authority website from (New window) www.cosla.gov.uk.

To find out what the department is for the local government service you are interested in, check the list of services under the heading ‘Local Authority Services’and then contact the headquarters of the local authority for your area and ask for the department which provides that service.

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Local authority services

Service

Covering

Building control

Standard of construction; safety in buildings used by the public

Community charge/council tax

Levying and collecting council tax; rebates on council tax and arrears of community charge

Courts

District courts

Education

Schools: primary and secondary; school meals; school transport; school attendance; careers advice; community education

Elections

Maintaining electoral register; conducting elections

Environmental services

Controlling: noise, smoke, pests, animal disease; refuse collection; food standards; slaughterhouses; burial grounds and crematoria; public convenience; allotments; consumer protection

Fire and police

Fire brigade - provision, training and equipping; Police - provision, equipping and appointment of Senior officers

Housing

Council housing - building, provision, maintenance, sales, management; housing benefit; substandard housing; grants and loans for house purchase; services for homeless people

Industrial promotion

Measures to establish, promote and develop industry

Leisure services

Libraries; museums and art galleries; sports facilities; cultural and social facilities; public parks; community centres; tourism

Licensing

Issuing licences for:- sale of alcohol; gaming; cinemas; theatres; taxis; dogs; massage parlours; street traders

Planning

Local plans; planning permission; conservation areas; listed buildings; urban redevelopment; large scale strategic plans; civil defence; providing caravan sites; enforcing development control; structure plans

Rating and valuation

Appointing assessor to value property; levying rates

Social work

Provision of social services for:- children; people with learning difficulties; people with long term illness; people with disabilities; people with problems because of age; offenders

Transportation

Construction and maintenance of:- roads (not motorways); footpaths; bridges; street lighting; providing or subsidising public transport

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