Gas Act 1965

Section 1.

SCHEDULE 1 Amendments as Respects Functions of Gas Council.

Effect of provisions as to functions of Gas Council.

1 In section 2(6) of the principal Act the references to the preceding provisions of that section shall include references to section 1 of this Act.

Training and education.

2 (1) Section 4(1) of the principal Act shall apply to the Gas Council as it applies to an Area Board.

(2) In section 4(2) of the principal Act, for the words from " and the Council" to the end of the subsection there shall be substituted the words " and the Council shall from time to time prepare programmes showing the provision to be made by the Council under that subsection " ; and at the end of the said section 4(2) there shall be added the following subsection—

“(3) The Gas Council shall co-ordinate the programmes submitted to and prepared by them under the last preceding subsection and settle from time to time in consultation with the Minister a general programme with respect to the provision to be made by the Area Boards and the Council under subsection (1) of this section, and the Area Boards and the Council shall give effect to the programme so settled.”

Regulations with respect to appointment of additional members of Gas Council.

3 In section 5(8)(a) of the principal Act the reference to the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Gas Council shall include a reference to any member of that Council appointed under section 2 of this Act.

Gas Council to be authorised to purchase land compulsorily.

4 Section 11 of the principal Act (under which an Area Board may be authorised to purchase land or rights over land compulsorily) shall apply in relation to the Gas Council as it applies in relation to an Area Board.

Financial provisions.

5 In section 46(2) of the principal Act (duty of Gas Council to contribute to central guarantee fund in any financial year in which they are required to make any payments in connection with money borrowed by them for certain purposes) references to the provision of money for the manufacture of plant, gas fittings or coke fittings by the Gas Council shall include references to the exercise by the Gas Council of any of their powers conferred by this Act.

6 In section 47(1) of the principal Act (duty of Gas Council to establish and maintain a general reserve fund if and so long as they exercise their powers to manufacture plant, gas fittings or coke fittings), references to those powers shall include references to the Council's powers under this Act, and in proviso (a) to section 47(2) of the principal Act references to purposes connected with the manufacture of such plant or fittings shall include references to purposes connected with the Council's powers under this Act.

7 Section 48(1) of the principal Act (Area Boards' contributions to Council's expenses) shall not apply in relation to expenses of the Gas Council incurred in the exercise of powers under this Act.

Supply of gas by persons other than Area Boards.

8 The manufacture of gas by the Gas Council shall not be taken into account for the purposes of section 52 of the principal Act so as to include the Gas Council in references in that section to persons engaged in the manufacture of gas.

Standards of gas quality.

9 Section 55 of the principal Act shall apply as if references to an Area Board included references to the Gas Council, but as if when so applied references to the declared calorific value of gas were references to any calorific value of gas agreed between the Council and the person to whom the gas is supplied.

Provisions relating to gas supply.

10 (1) The following enactments, that is—

(a) Schedule 3 to the principal Act, and

(b) the [1954 c. 21.] Rights of Entry (Gas and Electricity Boards) Act 1954,

shall apply in relation to the Gas Council as they apply to an Area Board, but the said Schedule shall so apply subject to the following modifications.

(2) In paragraph 1(1)—

(a) for the words from "within their area" to "in bulk from any person " there shall be substituted the words " for the purposes of the exercise or performance of any of their functions " , and

(b) for the words from " for supplying gas in their area " to " as aforesaid " there shall be substituted the words " for the purposes of the exercise or performance of any of their functions ".

(3) The whole of paragraph 1(2), and the words "in their area" in the proviso to paragraph 1(3), shall be omitted.

(4) In paragraph 7 the words "within their area" shall be omitted.

(5) Paragraphs 8 to 12 (obligation to supply gas) and paragraphs 17 to 21 (street lamps, etc.) shall be omitted.

Natural gas.

11 (1) For the proviso to section 4 of the [1934 c. 36.] Petroleum (Production) Act 1934 (under which, as amended by section 56(3) of the principal Act, natural gas obtained in pursuance of a licence under that Act must be offered to the local Area Board) there shall be substituted the following proviso—

“Provided that the Minister of Power shall not give his authority unless he is satisfied that the Gas Council and the Area Board in whose area the premises are situated, have been given an opportunity of purchasing the gas at a reasonable price, and that the gas is to be supplied to those premises for industrial purposes only.”

(2) In section 9(3) of the [1964 c. 29.] Continental Shelf Act 1964 (which makes corresponding provision as respects licences under the said Act of 1934 as applied by section 1(3) of the said Act of 1964) for the words " the Area Board in whose area the premises are situated has " there shall be substituted the words " the Gas Council and the Area Board in whose area the premises are situated have " , and the said section 9 shall not affect the supply of gas by or to the Gas Council.