British Library Act 1972

4 Further provisions as to the Board

(1) As from the appointed day, section 15 of the [1911 c. 46.] Copyright Act 1911 (which requires the publisher of every book published in the United Kingdom to deliver a copy to the British Museum) shall have effect as if references in subsections (1), (3) and (6) to the trustees of the British Museum were references to the British Library Board ; and—

(a) corresponding amendment shall be made of all references to the trustees in section 1(1) of the [1932 c. 34.] British Museum Act 1932 (which excepts certain categories of publications from the requirements of section 15 of the Act of 1911, subject to written demand by the trustees);

(b) the power under section 1(2) of that Act to make regulations shall, instead of being exercisable by the trustees, be exercisable by the Board ; and

(c) any regulations of the trustees under that section which were in force immediately before the appointed day shall continue in force as if made by the Board thereunder, with the substitution for references in the regulations to the trustees of references to the Board.

(2) The Board shall be an exempt charity for the purposes of the [1960 c. 58.] Charities Act 1960, and accordingly at the end of Schedule 2 to that Act (which lists the institutions exempt from provisions of the Act relating to registration and other provisions) there shall be added—

“(i) the British Library Board”.

(3) The Board shall, not later than such date in each year as the Secretary of State may determine, send to him a report of the proceedings and activities of the Board during the previous twelve months, and the Secretary of State shall lay copies of the report before each House of Parliament.