Default of district councils
68.—(1) If the Department, after communication with a district council, is of opinion that the council has failed to exercise any of its functions under this Order, the Department may by order empower an officer of the Department to exercise, or procure the exercise of, that function.
(2) Any expenses incurred by the Department or by an officer of the Department under any order made under paragraph (1) shall, in the first instance, be defrayed out of moneys appropriated by Measure but—
(a)the amount of those expenses as certified by the Department shall, on demand, be paid to the Department by the district council; and
(b)any sum demanded under sub-paragraph (a) shall be recoverable by the Department from the district council as a civil debt due to the Crown.
(3) Nothing in this Article shall affect any other power exercisable by the Department with respect to defaults of district councils.