ABSTRACT
The autonomy of local authorities in respect of their internal administrative and committee structures renders generalisation about how they perform various tasks and with what effectiveness a hazardous undertaking. This chapter looks at the different ways in which economic activities have been grafted on to the administrative structures of the local authorities involved. Whilst there are many important similarities in the forms of internal organisation adopted by local authorities, the range of variation in organisation is likely to be particularly wide in a field like economic development. Treasurer's and planning departments are two principal departments with which industrial development offices might be expected to face conflicts over goals. Without sympathy and support from the political leadership it is virtually impossible for even the most committed council officer to launch a programme of economic action. Co-operation between local authorities on economic issues is severely limited, in part because they are competing with each other for the attention of potential developers.
