4 Other powers.U.K.
(1)A person supplying or using a substance mentioned in section 1(1) above may, if authorised to do so by the Secretary of State by any general or special authority granted for the purpose, and while acting in accordance with that authority, disregard or fall short in discharging any obligation imposed by or under an enactment, or any contractual obligation, relating to or involving the supply or use of that substance.
This subsection has effect only at a time when there is in force an Order in Council under section 3(1).
(2)At any time when such an Order in Council is in force, the Secretary of State may grant, or enable any person to grant on his behalf, a general or special authority for the doing, during the whole or any part of the period for which the Order remains in force, of all or any of the things mentioned in Schedule 1 to this Act (relaxations of road traffic and transport law).
(3)Her Majesty may by Order in Council make provision for modifying or excluding any obligation or restriction imposed, or extending any power conferred, by or under an enactment which directly or indirectly affects the use of a substance mentioned in section 1(1).
(4)While an Order in Council is in force under section 3(1)—
(a)subsection (3) above has effect as if for “affects the use” there were substituted “affects the supply or use”; and
(b)without prejudice to the generality of the subsection, the powers under it extend to making such provision for modifying an order under section 2 of the M1Counter-Inflation Act 1973 as appears to Her Majesty to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of price controls under this Act.
(5)This section applies in relation to electricity as it applies in relation to substances mentioned in section 1(1).