2.—(1) Regulations may make provision about the accounting practices to be followed by a council, in particular with respect to the charging of expenditure to the general fund.
(2) The Department may issue guidance about the accounting practices to be followed by a council, in particular with respect to the charging of expenditure to the general fund.
(3) In any statutory provision, any reference to proper practices, in relation to accounts of a council, is to those accounting practices—
(a)which the council is required to follow by virtue of any statutory provision, or
(b)which, whether by reference to any generally recognised published code or otherwise, are regarded as proper accounting practices to be followed in the keeping of accounts of councils, either generally or of the description concerned.
(4) In the event of conflict between practices falling within paragraph (a) of subsection (3) and practices falling within paragraph (b) of that subsection, only those falling within paragraph (a) are to be regarded as proper practices.
(5) In this section “council” includes any local government body within the meaning of Part 2 of the Local Government (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (NI 18).