2Expenses, accounts etc. of Research Councils
(1)The Secretary of State may, out of moneys provided by Parliament, pay to any of the Research Councils such sums in respect of the expenses of the Council as he may with the consent of the Treasury determine, and so far as relates to the use and expenditure of sums so paid the Council shall act in accordance with such directions as may from time to time be given to it by the Secretary of State.
(2)The provisions of Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the making of returns and reports by the Research Councils to the Secretary of State, with respect to the keeping and auditing of their accounts and with respect to related matters.
(3)Land occupied in the United Kingdom by any of the Research Councils shall be deemed, for the purposes of any rate on property, to be property occupied by or on behalf of the Crown for public purposes.
(4)The obligations of the Medical Research Council and the Agricultural Research Council under this section in relation to the Secretary of State shall be in place of any corresponding obligations imposed on either Council by its charter or otherwise, and the Agricultural Research Fund established under the [1956 c. 28.] Agricultural Research Act 1956 shall no longer be maintained; and subject to the foregoing provisions of this subsection anything which under the charter of either of those Councils is to be done by or to a committee of the Privy Council shall instead be done by or to the Secretary of State.
(5)Nothing in this Act or in any other enactment relating to the general functions of any of the Research Councils shall be taken as restricting the activities of a Research Council to the United Kingdom or any part thereof, nor shall the expenses in respect of which payments may be made under subsection (1) above be restricted to expenses incurred in the United Kingdom ; but, in the case of Research Councils other than the Agricultural Research Council and the Medical Research Council, the expenses of the Council in respect of which payments may be so made shall not include any expenses in so far as they may be incurred for objects falling outside the objects specified in relation to the Council in section 1(2) or (3) above or in the Order in Council declaring it to be a Research Council.