Local Employment Act 1970

PART I Intermediate Areas and Derelict Land Clearance Areas

1 Intermediate areas and functions exercisable in relation thereto

(1) Where the Minister of Technology (in this Act referred to as " the Minister ") is of opinion, with respect to a locality in Great Britain, that special measures are necessary for the purpose of encouraging the growth and proper distribution of industry therein, but that the economic problems thereof are not so acute that all the powers conferred by Part I of the [1960 c. 18.] Local Employment Act 1960 and by the [1966 c. 34.] Industrial Development Act 1966 in relation to development areas need be available for use in relation to the locality in order that that purpose may be achieved, he may specify it by order as an intermediate area.

(2) Subject to subsection (3) of this section, the functions under Part I of the Local Employment Act 1960 of the Minister, the Secretary of State, the Minister in charge of a Government department, the Board of Trade and the Industrial Estates Corporations (except the power of the Minister under section 4 of that Act to make loans or grants to undertakings in development areas) and the functions under Part II of the Industrial Development Act 1966 of the Minister, the Minister of Housing and Local Government, the Secretary of State and the Industrial Estates Corporations shall be exercisable in relation to intermediate areas, former intermediate areas, and land therein, as they are exercisable in relation to development areas, former development areas, and land therein.

(3) No grant shall be made, by virtue of this section, under section 3 of the Local Employment Act 1960 (building grants), towards the expenditure incurred in providing a building or extension in an intermediate area, in a case where any work on providing that building or extension, being work undertaken by or on behalf of the applicant, was done on the site before 25th June 1969; nor, where any work on providing a building or extension intended for occupation by an undertaking was so done, shall a grant be so made under that section in respect of a purchase of that building or extension for occupation by that undertaking.

(4) In the application, by virtue of this section, of Part I of the Local Employment Act 1960 and Part II of the Industrial Development Act 1966 to intermediate areas, former intermediate areas, and land therein, for the fallowing references to a development area, that is to say, those in sections 1(1), 2, 3(1), 6(1), 7(1) and 14(2) of the first-mentioned Act and in sections 17(1), 19(4), 20(1) and 21(4) of the last-mentioned Act and the first reference in section 15(7) of the last-mentioned Act, there shall be substituted references to an intermediate area.

(5) Where the Minister by order specifies, under subsection (1) above, as an intermediate area a locality that immediately before the order was made was a development area in which, by virtue of section 15(6) of the Industrial Development Act 1966, another locality fell to be treated as being included for the purposes of the provisions of the Local Employment Act 1960 and Part II of the first-mentioned Act, that other locality shall be treated for the purposes of those provisions as being included in the specified area.

(6) In section 1(1) of the [1960 c. 18.] Local Employment Act 1960 and sections 15(7) and 21(4) of the [1966 c. 34.] Industrial Development Act 1966, as those provisions apply, by virtue of this section, to intermediate areas or former intermediate areas, references to section 4 of the first-mentioned Act (power of the Minister to make loans or grants to undertakings in development areas) and to assistance under that section shall be omitted.

2 Derelict land clearance areas

(1) Where the Minister is of opinion, with respect to a locality in Great Britain, that the economic situation in the locality is such that the exercise, in relation to land therein, of the powers conferred by section 20 of the Industrial Development Act 1966 (power of the Minister to acquire derelict land in a development area, and other land, and carry out works thereon, and power of the Minister of Housing and Local Government and of the Secretary of State to make grants to councils towards cost of acquiring and improving derelict land, &c.) would be particularly appropriate with a view to contributing to the development of industry in the locality, he may specify it by order as a derelict land clearance area, and that section shall have effect in relation to land in a derelict land clearance area as it has effect in relation to land in a development area.

(2) The reference in section 14(2) of the Local Employment Act 1960 to land acquired by the Board of Trade or the Minister under Part I of that Act shall not, by virtue of section 31(2) of the Industrial Development Act 1966 (Part II of the Industrial Development Act 1966 to be construed as one with Part I of the Local Employment Act 1960) be construed as including a reference to land acquired by the Minister under section 20 of the Industrial Development Act 1966 by virtue of this section, but where land so acquired by virtue of this section is situated in a locality which is not a derelict land clearance area the Minister shall have power, so long as he owns the land, to carry out thereon such work as appears to him expedient for the purpose of enabling so much of the land as appears to him to be derelict, neglected or unsightly to be brought into use or of improving its appearance, with a view to contributing to the development of industry in the locality in which it is situated.

(3) Where at any time a locality ceases to be a derelict land clearance area, the fact that it is no longer such an area shall not prejudice—

(a) the completion by the Minister of works begun before that time in the locality under section 20 of the Industrial Development Act 1966, or the exercise by the Minister in relation to land in that locality of his powers under that section so far as may be necessary for the purpose of fulfilling any agreement entered into by the Minister before that time;

(b) the making of a grant under that section in any case in which an application for the grant was received by the Minister of Housing and Local Government or the Secretary of State before that time ; or

(c) the continued operation of any agreement relating to any such grant.

3 Provisions as to orders under sections 1 and 2

(1) Section 15(4) of the [1966 c. 34.] Industrial Development Act 1966 (description of a development area by reference to employment exchange areas) shall apply to an order under section 1 of this Act specifying a locality as an intermediate area or under section 2 of this Act specifying a locality as a derelict land clearance area as it applies to an order under section 15(2) of the Industrial Development Act 1966 specifying an area as a development area.

(2) The powers conferred by sections 1 and 2 of this Act to make orders shall be exercisable by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament; and the power conferred by each of those sections shall be construed as including power to vary or revoke an order made thereunder by a subsequent order.

4 Grants towards costs incurred in connection with certain improvement work on derelict land begun before the commencement of this Act

(1) Where, in the case of land in an intermediate area or a derelict land clearance area.—

(a) the council of the county, county borough or county district in which the land is situated have carried out work on the land for the purpose of enabling it to be brought into use or of improving its appearance; and

(b) it appears to the Minister of Housing and Local Government that, before the work was begun, the land was derelict, neglected or unsightly; and

(c) it appears to the Minister that bringing the land into use or improving its appearance has contributed or is likely to contribute to the development of industry in the area;

then, provided that the work was begun on the land after 24th April 1969 and before the commencement of this Act, the Minister of Housing and Local Government may, with the consent of the Treasury, make, out of moneys provided by Parliament, grants to the council—

(i) towards any cost incurred by the council in acquiring the land, and any other land acquired by the council for the purpose of enabling the first-mentioned land to be brought into use or of improving its appearance;

(ii) towards the cost of the carrying out by the council for that purpose of any work on the first-mentioned land or on any other land.

(2) In this section "land " includes land covered with water.

(3) In the application of this section to land in Scotland or in Wales or Monmouthshire, for any reference to the Minister of Housing and Local Government there shall be substituted a reference to the Secretary of State; and, in the application of this section to land in Scotland, for any reference to the council of the county, county borough or county district in which the land is situated there shall be substituted a reference to any local authority, as defined for the purposes of the [1947 c. 43.] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947, within whose area the land is situated.

5 Minor and consequential amendments of enactments

The enactments mentioned in column 1 of the Schedule to this Act shall have effect subject to the amendments respectively specified in relation thereto in column 2 thereof (being minor amendments or amendments consequential on this Part of this Act).

6 Expenses and receipts

Expenses incurred under section 2(2) of this Act by the Minister, and expenses which, by virtue of this Part of this Act, are incurred under any other enactment by a Government department shall be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament, and sums which, by virtue of this Part of this Act, are received under any other enactment by a Government department shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom.