(1)The Minister may by any order made under section nine, section ten, section twelve, section twenty-three or section forty of this Act apply to any water undertaking to which the order relates such of the provisions contained in the Third Schedule to this Act as appear to him to be appropriate, subject to such modifications and adaptations as may be specified in the order.
(2)The Minister may at any time by order apply the provisions of the Third Schedule to this Act or any of them to the undertaking of any statutory water undertakers supplying water under a local enactment, subject to such modifications and adaptations as may be specified in the order, and may by the order repeal any provision previously applicable to the undertaking to the extent to which it appears to him, having regard to the provisions of this Act which apply, or are applied by the order, to the undertaking, to be no longer required, or amend any provision previously applicable to the undertaking to any extent which appears to him necessary to bring it into conformity with the said provisions of this Act:
Provided that, during the period of five years beginning with the commencement of this Act, he shall not make such an order except on the application of the undertakers concerned.
(3)The provisions of Part I of the First Schedule to this Act shall apply to orders made under the last foregoing subsection on the application of the undertakers concerned, and the provisions of Part II of the said Schedule shall apply to orders made thereunder without any such application, and all orders made under the said subsection shall, in the circumstances specified in paragraph 8 or paragraph 17, as the case may be, of the said Schedule, be provisional only and not have effect until they are confirmed by Parliament.
(4)The Minister, when considering the making of an order under subsection (2) of this section, shall have regard to the powers, if any, and practice of the undertakers as regards additional charges in respect of waterclosets and baths, and the probable effect of any order made by him on the financial position of the undertaking and on the rates and charges payable by consumers of different classes.
(5)Where the Minister makes an order under subsection (2) of this section, he shall, if so requested by the undertakers concerned before the order is made, postpone the operation of the order for such period as he deems sufficient to enable them to make an application to him under section forty of this Act (which relates to the power of the Minister to revise water rates and charges).