Employment and Training Act 1973

2 Functions of the Commission and Agencies

(1) In addition to the functions conferred on the Commission by virtue of provisions of this Act other than this section but subject to subsection (3) of this section, it shall be the duty of the Commission to make such arrangements as it considers appropriate for the purpose of assisting persons to select, train for, obtain and retain employment suitable for their ages and capacities and to obtain suitable employees (including partners and other business associates).

(2) Arrangements in pursuance of this section may—

(a) include agreements between the Commission and a Minister of the Crown for the Commission to perform, on behalf of the Minister, functions exercisable by the Minister, whether by virtue of an enactment or otherwise, which are connected with employment, unemployment or training for employment (excluding a function of making regulations or other instruments having the force of law);

(b) include arrangements for encouraging increases in the opportunities available to women and girls for employment and training;

(c) be made in respect of employment or training in the United Kingdom or elsewhere ;

(d) include provision for the making of payments by the Commission, by way of grant or loan or otherwise, to persons who provide facilities in pursuance of the arrangements, to persons who use those facilities and to other persons specified in pursuance of the arrangements ;

(e) include provision for the making of payments to the Commission by other parties to the arrangements and by persons who use those facilities, including payments for publications issued in pursuance of the arrangements but excluding other payments by persons in respect of the seeking or obtaining for them of employment under contracts of service or apprenticeship;

(f) without prejudice to the generality of the preceding provisions of this section, include arrangements for the appointment of persons to advise the Commission in connection with any of its functions;

and it is hereby declared that nothing in the preceding subsection restricts the arrangements which may be made by virtue of this subsection.

(3) It shall be the duty of the Commission—

(a) to submit to the Secretary of State from time to time particulars of what it proposes to do for the purpose of performing its functions ; and

(b) subject to the following paragraph, to ensure that its activities are in accordance with proposals approved by the Secretary of State ; and

(c) to give effect to any directions given to it by the Secretary of State;

and the Commission may give to either of the Agencies at any time such directions as the Commission thinks fit with respect to the performance by the Agency of its functions.

(4) In addition to any other functions conferred on either of the Agencies by virtue of this Act, it shall be the duty of each of the Agencies—

(a) to exercise on behalf of the Commission such of the Commission's functions as the Commission directs the Agency to exercise; and

(b) to give effect to any directions given to it by the Commission otherwise than in pursuance of the preceding paragraph.

(5) The Commission and each of the Agencies shall, subject to any directions given to it in pursuance of this Act, have power to do anything (except borrow money) which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the performance of any function of the Commission or, as the case may be, the Agency (including a function conferred on it by virtue of this subsection).