4Combination of authorities for purposes of schemes.
(1)If it appears to the Minister to be expedient that two or more authorities, being local authorities or county councils, should act jointly in the preparation or adoption of a scheme, he may, at the request of any one or more of them by order provide for the constitution of a joint committee for the purpose and transfer to the committee any powers, other than the power to borrow money or levy a rate, and duties which any of the constituent authorities might exercise and discharge for the purpose :
Provided that, before making any such order, the Minister shall, unless all the authorities affected thereby assent to the making thereof, cause a local inquiry to be held.
(2)An order under this section may provide for the application, with any necessary modifications, to the committee thereby constituted of any of the provisions of the last preceding section, and may, if it appears to the Minister to be necessary, provide for the dissolution of any joint committee constituted under the foregoing provisions of this Act or any repealed enactment relating to town planning.