Public Law within Government Sustaining the Art of the Possible

Drawing on rich source material - one local authority's involvement in the epic central/local confrontation over local government spending in 1980s England - this book develops a multifaceted and widely applicable analysis of public law within government

  • PDF / 1,107,429 Bytes
  • 262 Pages / 396.85 x 612.283 pts Page_size
  • 24 Downloads / 199 Views

DOWNLOAD

REPORT


This page intentionally left blank

Public Law within Government Sustaining the Art of the Possible T. P. B. Rattenbury

© Timothy Rattenbury 2008 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2008 978-0-230-55302-6 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2008 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-36281-3 DOI 10.1057/9780230583627

ISBN 978-0-230-58362-7 (eBook)

This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rattenbury, T. P. B., 1952– Public law within government : sustaining the art of the possible / T. P. B. Rattenbury. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Public law–Great Britain. 2. Administrative law–Great Britain. 3. Local finance–Law and legislation–Great Britain. 4. Public law. 5. Administrative law. 6. Local finance–Law and legislation. I. Title. KD3930.R38 2008 342.41–dc22 10 17

9 16

8 15

7 14

6 13

2007052979 5 12

4 11

3 10

2 09

1 08

To Diana, with love and enormous appreciation. To Jay and Carrie, with love. And to the countless public officials, elected and unelected, who do their honest best.

This page intentionally left blank

Contents

Preface

xi

Chapter 1

Introduction

1

Chapter 2

The Ultra Vires Rule: Its Substance and Significance A. What? B. Why? C. Who? D. How? E. From law to practice

17 20 31 35 38 42

Chapter 3

Out With the Old: The 1980 Budget A. Setting the scene B. Strategies of restraint C. The shape of things to come D. Rents and rates, the old way E. Confronting penalties

47 48 49 50 51 54

Chapter 4

In With the New: The 1981 Budget A. New law: the first encounters B. Rents and rates: the well-wo