16.—(1) Where any premises in respect of which the Department has paid a grant under paragraph 15(1)(a) cease to be used for approved purposes of the Council, there shall be payable to the Department by the Council or its successors in title such sum as the Department considers equitable but not exceeding such proportion of the value of the premises as the proportion that the amount of the grant was of the approved cost of the provision or alteration of the premises together with interest on that sum from the date on which the premises ceased to be used as aforesaid until the date of payment to the Department.N.I.
(2) Where any site which has been acquired for the purposes of the Council and in respect of which site the Department has paid a grant under paragraph 15(1)(a) ceases in the opinion of the Department to be required for such purposes, there shall be payable to the Department by the Council or its successors in title such sum as the Department considers equitable but not exceeding such proportion of the value of the site as the proportion that the amount of the grant was of the approved cost of the acquisition of the site together with interest on that sum from the date on which the site so ceased to be required until the date of payment to the Department. 1973 No. 439
(3) Where the Department proposes to pay a grant under paragraph 15(1)(a) in respect of the provision or alteration of premises used or to be used for the purposes of the Council and the new or altered premises in the opinion of the Department replace any premises in respect of which the Department has paid a grant under paragraph 15(1)(a) or (before the coming into operation of this paragraph) under the Educational and Library Services Etc. Grants Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1973F1, the Department may either—
(a)reduce the amount of the grant so payable by such amount as the Department considers equitable; or
(b)attach to the grant a condition that when the replaced premises cease to be used for approved purposes of the Council, there shall be payable to the Department by the Council or its successors in title such amount as the Department considers equitable.
(4) The amount by which a grant may be reduced under sub‐paragraph (3)(a) or the amount payable to the Department under sub‐paragraph (3)(b) shall consist of a sum not exceeding such proportion of the value of the replaced premises as the proportion that the amount of the grant is or was of the approved cost of the provision of the new or altered premises together with interest on that sum from the date on which the premises ceased to be used as aforesaid until the date of the payment of the grant under sub‐paragraph (3)(a) or, as the case may be, the payment to the Department under sub‐paragraph (3)(b).
(5) For the purposes of sub‐paragraphs (1), (2) and (4) the value of premises or a site shall be taken to be the amount which the premises or site might be expected to realise if sold in the open market on the date on which the premises ceased to be used or the site ceased to be required as aforesaid and where the Department certifies that it is not possible to reach agreement as to such value, the dispute as to such value may be referred to and determined by the Lands Tribunal for Northern Ireland.
(6) Where any equipment in respect of which the Department has paid a grant under paragraph 15(1)(b) ceases to be used for approved purposes of the Council, there shall be payable to the Department by the Council such sum as the Department considers equitable, regard being had to the length of the period during which the equipment was used for those purposes.
(7) For the purposes of sub‐paragraphs (1), (2) and (4) interest shall be at such rate as may from time to time be determined by the Department of Finance and Personnel under paragraph 18(2) of Schedule 6 to the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972F2.
(8) Any sum payable to the Department under this paragraph may be recovered as a debt due to the Department.
F1S.R. & O. (N.I.) 1973 No.439