Prior to reform,
local government in Scotland was made up of a system of
counties and
burghs. County councils controlled most of the local government functions across the country while the burghs had limited powers over smaller geographical areas.
Small burghs had some control over planning as well as local taxation, building control, housing, lighting and drainage while
large burghs also had further powers over the police, public health, social services, registration of births, marriages and deaths and electoral registration. Following the recommendations in the
Wheatly Report, the old system of counties and burghs – which had resulted in a mishmash of local government areas in which some small burghs had larger populations but far fewer responsibilities than some large burghs and even counties – was to be replaced by a new system of regional and district councils. The area that was to become Strathclyde was made up of the former counties of
Ayrshire,
Buteshire,
Dunbartonshire,
Lanarkshire and
Renfrewshire in full as well as the
City of Glasgow, most of
Argyll and part of
Stirlingshire. ==Results==