This Act may be cited as the Armed Forces Act 1976.

Section 21 above may be cited together with the Greenwich Hospital Acts 1865 to 1967 as the Greenwich Hospital Acts 1865 to 1976.

Except so far as the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Act to any other enactment is a reference to that enactment as amended by or under any subsequent enactment, including an enactment contained in this Act.

Any power to make an order conferred by any provision of this Act shall include power to make an order varying or revoking any order previously made under that provision.

The minor and consequential amendments specified in Schedule 9 to this Act shall have effect.

The enactments specified in Schedule 10 to this Act (which include enactments which were obsolete or unnecessary before the passing of this Act) are repealed to the extent specified in the third column of that Schedule.

The following provisions of this Act shall come into force on the day this Act is passed, namely—

• section 1;

• section 10;

• section 17(1);

• section 20(a);

• section 21;

• subsections (1) to (4) and (7) to (9) of this section;

• subsection (5) of this section so far as it relates to paragraphs 4, 11 and 20(2), (4) and (5) of Schedule 9; and

• subsection (6) of this section so far as it relates to the repeal of the following, namely—

• the M1Naval Knights of Windsor (Dissolution) Act 1892,

• section 1 of the M2Armed Forces Act 1971,

• section 10(4) of the M3House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975, and

• section 5(3) of the M4Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975.

Subject to subsection (7) above, this Act shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument appoint.