unelected sub-Regional Councils, which resembled the County Councils that the Regional Council had replaced. The two-tier system of local government introduced by the act lasted until 1 April 1996 when the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 came into effect, abolishing the regions and districts and replacing them with 32 unitary authorities. Further reading Pugh, Michael, 'Centralism versus localism? Democracy versus efficiency? The perennial challenges of Scottish local government organisation' (30 June 2014), History & Policy, http://www.historyandpolicy.org/policy-papers/papers/the-perennial-challenges-of-scottish-local-government-organisation See also Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 Subdivisions of Scotland References Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Royal Commission on Local Government in Scotland, 1969. Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning Scotland History of local government in Scotland United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1973 1973 in Scotland October 1973 events in the United Kingdom