A: No - There is no power for a council to appoint a religious adviser. The Local Government Act 1972 section 111 allows a council to appoint officers necessary for the proper discharge of its functions. However, a council does not seem to need a chaplain to perform its functions. Section 112 of the 1972 Act allows a council to do anything to facilitate, conducive or incidental to any of its functions. Again, there seems nothing about the duties of a chaplain that falls within this description. Therefore the appointment of a chaplain will be ultra vires.