41. Section 48 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by inserting the following after subsection (1):

“(1A)One of the committees established under subsection (1) shall be to consider matters which relate to the functions of the local authority in relation to economic development and matters connected to the promotion of, including support for, enterprise, and to advise the authority on those matters.”,

(b) by substituting the following for subparagraph (i) of subsection (3)(b):

“(i) the representation of each local community development committee established in accordance with section 49A and of sectoral interests,”,

(c) by inserting the following after paragraph (b) of subsection (3):

“(ba) Guidelines referred to in paragraph (a) may include—

(i) provisions for procedures for presentation of proposals to the local authority concerned connected with the formulation, development, monitoring and review of policy for the purposes of this section,

(ii) provisions relating to the format, content and layout of any particular class or classes of policy papers and other documents (including the preparation of preliminary documents) prepared by or presented to the strategic policy committee, and

(iii) provisions for procedures to ensure that sufficient time for input by the strategic policy committee into policy papers is provided prior to completion and subsequent presentation to the local authority concerned.

(bb) Guidelines referred to in paragraph (a) may apply to local authorities generally, to any class or classes of local authorities specified in the guidelines or to a particular local authority so specified and shall, in so far as the guidelines relate to them, be complied with by every local authority, chief executive, strategic policy committee and municipal district member.”,

and

(d) by inserting the following after subsection (3):

“(3A) (a) For the purposes of assisting a strategic policy committee in considering matters in accordance with subsections (1) and (1A) the committee may request the attendance of a public authority at a meeting of the committee.

(b) Where a public authority refuses or otherwise fails to attend a meeting of a strategic policy committee following a request by the committee, then the chairperson of the committee—

(i) may report such refusal or failure to a meeting of the local authority, and

(ii) where so reported, shall provide the meeting of the local authority with any explanation furnished by the public authority for so refusing or failing to attend.

(c) Where any refusal or failure by a public authority is reported to a local authority under paragraph (b), then the local authority may report such refusal or failure, together with any explanation furnished by the public authority, to any Minister of the Government—

(i) on whom functions relating to the public authority concerned stand conferred, or

(ii) who has general responsibility for the public authority concerned.

(3B) When formulating, developing, adopting, monitoring and reviewing policies which relate to the functions of a local authority each strategic policy committee of the local authority shall have regard to the regional spatial and economic strategy of the appropriate regional assembly.”.