"I.—(1) The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State acting jointly may make an order conferring on the council of a district in Wales, with respect to the district, the functions which, apart from the order, would be exercisable by the county council under sections 4 and 5 of the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act 1928 (cold and chemical storage of eggs in registered premises).
(2) The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State acting jointly may make an order imposing on the council of a district in Wales, with respect to the district, the duty which, apart from the order, would be imposed on the county council by section 67 of the Agriculture Act 1970 (enforcement of provisions of that Act relating to fertilisers and feeding stuffs).
(3) The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food may make an order imposing on the council of a district in Wales, with respect to the district, the duty which, apart from the order, would be imposed on the county council by section 108(8) of the Medicines Act 1968 (enforcement of certain provisions made by or under that Act).
(4) If and so long as an order under subsection (1), subsection (2) or subsection (3) above confers any functions or imposes any duty on a district council in Wales, references in the enactment or enactments to which the order relates—
- (a) to the county council shall be construed as including references to that district council, and
- (b) to the area of the county (however expressed) shall he construed, in relation to the council of the county in which the district is situated, as references to the area of the county exclusive of that district.
(5) The power to make an order—
- (a) under subsection (1) above conferring functions on a district council in Wales, or
- (b) under subsection (2) or subsection (3) above imposing a duty on a district council in Wales,
shall cease to be exercisable on 1st April, 1974, but an order made under any of those subsections may be revoked at any time after that date, by a further order made under the same subsection.
(6) A statutory instrument containing an order under subsection (1), subsection (2) or subsection (3) above shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
(7) Notwithstanding anything in section 5 of the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act 1928, in respect of any period during which, by virtue of an order under subsection (1) above, functions under sections 4 and 5 of that Act are conferred an the council 1258 of a district in Wales, any expenses incurred under that Act by the council of the county in which that district is situated shall be treated as special expenses chargeable only on the remainder of the county.
(8) In any case where, by virtue of an order under subsection (1), subsection (2) or subsection (3) above revoking a previous order under that subsection, functions conferred or a duty imposed by that previous order on a district council in Wales cease to be so conferred or imposed, anything done before the date on which the order takes effect by, to or before the district council shall have effect for the purposes of the enactment or enactments to which the order relates as if done by, to or before the county council by whom those functions become exercisable on that date or, as the case may be, on whom that duty is imposed on that date; and any proceedings under that enactment or those enactments which on that date were pending by or against the district council may be continued accordingly by or against the county council."
§ The Minister of State, Welsh Office (Mr. David Gibson-Watt)I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords on the said Amendment.
§ Mr. SpeakerWith this we are to take Lords Amendment No. 457.
§ Mr. Gibson-WattUnder Clauses 192(3) and 194(3), the appropriate Ministers may, by order at any time before 1st April, 1974, designate a Welsh district council as a food and drugs authority and weights and measures authority respectively. No such corresponding provision has been made in respect of functions concerned with fertilisers and feeding stuffs, medicated feeding stuffs, the marking of preserved eggs and the cold and chemical storage of eggs. The purpose and effect of these Amendments is to make such provision so that for consistency these closely allied consumer protection functions may be similarly allocated.
§ Question put and agreed to.