Commencement
101.Sections 1 to 20 and 22-26 of Part I of the Act will commence 12 months after Royal Assent unless an order is made to commence these provisions earlier. An order is very likely to be made in respect of a number of specific provisions (which confer an order-making power on the Secretary of State, or which allow him or the Audit Commission to issue guidance or Codes of Practice to authorities and auditors) to provide for commencement as soon as possible after Royal Assent. The provisions in question are:
section 1: defining best value authorities
subsections 2(1), 2(2), 2(3), 2(5) and 2(6): extending or disapplying the duty
subsections 3(2), 3(3) and 3(4): consultation
subsections 4(1), 4(2), 4(3), 4(4): specifying performance indicators and standards
subsections 5(2), 5(4), 5(5), 5(6) and 5(7): orders and guidance regarding best value reviews
section 6: orders and guidance regarding best value performance plans
subsections 8(2) to 8(7): codes of practice and scales of fees relating to best value audit
subsection 10(4): guidance on inspections
subsections 12(1) and 12(4): scales of fees relating to best value inspection
subsections 15(7) and 15(8): Secretary of State’s powers: regulations
section 16: powers to modify enactments and confer new powers
section 17: procedures for clause 16 orders
section 18: contracting out of functions
section 19: orders and guidance regarding non-commercial considerations
section 22: Audit Commission
section 23: accounts
subsection 24(1): Police Act 1996
section 25: co-ordination of inspections
section 26: general guidance
