Dock Work Regulation Act 1976

4 Secretary of State to prepare new Scheme

(1) The Secretary of State shall as soon as may be—

(a) prepare in draft, with a view to its being brought into force area by area, a new Dock Labour Scheme to replace the 1967 Scheme;

(b) publish notice that the draft Scheme has been prepared, informing persons interested where they can obtain copies of the draft and giving them at least sixty days in which to make representations to him about it; and

(c) after making such alterations (if any) as he thinks expedient in the light of representations so made, lay the draft before Parliament.

(2) If the draft Scheme is approved by a resolution of each House, the Secretary of State may make orders bringing it into force (in the form of the draft) for areas designated by the orders, which areas are then to be known as dock labour scheme areas ; but the whole of any area so designated must be comprised within a definable dock area.

(3) A definable dock area shall comprise any place in Great Britain which is within half a mile (in a direct line) of a harbour to which this Act applies or of the nearest harbour land adjacent to such a harbour.

(4) For the purposes of this section, " harbour " and " harbour land " have the meanings assigned to them by section 57 of the [1964 c. 40.] Harbours Act 1964.

(5) Any premises as to which the Board has reported under section 6 of this Act that work done there is dock work for the purposes of the 1967 Scheme as it applies in any port, or is so treated by custom and practice, are to be treated as part of the definable dock area which includes that port, if not otherwise falling to be so treated under subsection (3) above.

(6) The Secretary of State may, if it appears to him necessary in the light of local circumstances affecting any particular definable dock area, by order extend that area (or, having made in relation to it any one or more previous orders under this subsection, further extend it) by directing the addition to it of any contiguous area.

(7) An order shall not be made under subsection (6) in relation to a definable dock area unless a draft of the order has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of the House.

(8) Schedule 2 to this Act has effect as to the steps which are to be taken by the Secretary of State before making an order under subsection (6) of this section; and where an order under the subsection is laid before Parliament in draft for the purposes of subsection (7) there shall be laid with it—

(a) a statement by the Secretary of State certifying that Schedule 2 has been complied with ; and

(b) where a public inquiry has been held, a copy of any report and recommendation made by the person who held the inquiry.