Local Government Act 1974

Grants for particular purposes

6 Supplementary grants for transport purposes

(1) For the year 1975-76 and each subsequent year the Secretary of State shall make, in accordance with the provisions of this section, supplementary grants (in this section referred to as " supplementary grants for transport purposes ") to county councils and the Greater London Council in respect of their estimated expenditure in connection with—

(a) public transport,

(b) highways,

(c) the regulation of traffic, and

(d) the provision of parking places,

and the matters specified in paragraphs (a) to (d) above are in this section referred to as " transport matters ".

(2) To the extent that it would not otherwise be so included, there shall be treated for the purposes of this section as included in a council's estimated expenditure in connection with transport matters their estimated capital expenditure in connection with the provision by any person of facilities for or in connection with the loading or unloading of freight carried or intended to be carried otherwise than by road.

(3) The aggregate amount of supplementary grants for transport purposes for any year shall be such as may be prescribed.

(4) The proportion of the aggregate amount of supplementary grants for transport purposes payable for any year to a county council or the Greater London Council shall be determined, by such method as may be prescribed for the purposes of this section, by reference to the extent (if any) to which the accepted estimated expenditure of the council for the year in connection with transport matters exceeds a level of expenditure determined in such manner and by reference to such factors as may be prescribed for the purposes of this section.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (4) above,—

(a) the Secretary of State may treat the estimated expenditure of the London borough councils and the Common Council of the City of London in connection with transport matters as forming part of the estimated expenditure in connection with those matters of the Greater London Council;

(b) the Secretary of State may treat the estimated expenditure of a district council in connection with transport matters as forming part of the estimated expenditure in connection with those matters of the council of the county in which the district is situated; and

(c) " accepted ", in relation to the estimated expenditure of a council, means so much of their estimated expenditure as the Secretary of State may determine to be appropriate to be taken into account for the purposes of this section;

and in making a determination under paragraph (c) above, in relation to the estimated expenditure of a council, the Secretary of State shall have regard to the progress which appears to him to have been made by the council in formulating and implementing suitable policies to meet the needs of their area in connection with transport matters.

(6) Payments of supplementary grants for transport purposes shall be made at such times as the Secretary of State may, with the consent of the Treasury, determine.

(7) The Secretary of State may by regulations make such supplementary provision as he considers appropriate in relation to any factor prescribed for the purposes of this section in accordance with subsection (4) above.

(8) In consequence of the introduction of supplementary grants for transport purposes and of the provisions of this Part of this Act relating to rate support grants, the provisions of Part II of Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect with respect to certain grants under the [1959 c. 25.] Highways Act 1959 and the [1968 c. 73.] Transport Act 1968.

7 Supplementary grants towards expenditure with respect to National Parks

(1) For the year 1974-75 and each subsequent year the Secretary of State shall make, in accordance with the provisions of this section, supplementary grants to county councils in respect of their estimated expenditure in connection with National Parks.

(2) The aggregate amount of supplementary grants under this section for any year shall be such as may be prescribed.

(3) Supplementary grants under this section shall be payable only to county councils whose areas include the whole or any part of a National Park, and the proportion of the aggregate amount of supplementary grants under this section payable for any year to a county council shall be determined, by such method as may be prescribed for the purposes of this section, by reference to so much of the estimated expenditure of the council with respect to National Parks as the Secretary of State, after consultation with the Countryside Commission, may determine to be appropriate to be taken into account for the purposes of this section.

(4) Payments of supplementary grants under this section shall be made at such times as the Secretary of State may, with the consent of the Treasury, determine.

8 Specific grants for purposes not covered by rate support grants

(1) For the year 1974-75 and each subsequent year, the Secretary of State shall pay—

(a) to any rating authority granting rebates under the statutory rate rebate scheme in that year a grant equal to 90 per cent. of the aggregate amount of the rebates so granted; and

(b) to any rating authority granting rebates under a local rate rebate scheme in that year a grant equal to 90 per cent. of the aggregate amount of the rebates which, if that scheme had not been in force, would have been granted under the statutory rate rebate scheme during that year or, as the case may require, during the part of the year when the local rate rebate scheme was in force.

(2) For the year 1974-75 and each subsequent year the Secretary of State shall pay to each local education authority a grant equal to 90 per cent. of the aggregate amount paid in that year by the authority—

(a) in pursuance of awards bestowed under section 1(1) of the [1962 c. 12.] Education Act 1962 (for persons attending first degree university courses and comparable courses); and

(b) by way of grants under section 2(3) of that Act (to or in respect of persons undergoing training as teachers).

(3) Payments of grants under subsection (1) or subsection (2) above shall be made at such times as the Secretary of State may, with the consent of the Treasury, determine.

(4) In subsection (1) above "the statutory rate rebate scheme " and " local rate rebate scheme " have the same meanings as in Part II of this Act.

(5) The provisions of Part III of Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the termination of certain grants for specific purposes, other than highways and public transport.

9 Grants and loans by the Countryside Commission

(1) In accordance with arrangements approved by the Secretary of State and the Treasury, the Countryside Commission may give financial assistance by way of grant or loan, or partly in the one way and partly in the other, to any person in respect of expenditure incurred by him in doing anything which, in the opinion of the Commission, is conducive to the attainment of any of the purposes of the [1968 c. 41.] Countryside Act 1968 or the [1949 c. 97.] National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949.

(2) On making a grant or loan under this section the Countryside Commission may impose such conditions as they think fit including (in the case of a grant) conditions for repayment in specified circumstances.

(3) The exercise of the Countryside Commission's power under this section shall be subject to any directions given to the Commission by the Secretary of State.

(4) The provisions of this section shall have effect in place of the provisions of section 5 of the Countryside Act 1968 (under which grants may be made only to persons other than public bodies and only in respect of projects approved by the Secretary of State).