Coal Industry Act 1977

8 Regional grants

(1) This section has effect for the purpose of assisting or enabling the Board to pay due regard to the needs of the assisted areas when planning and carrying out colliery activities.

(2) For that purpose the Secretary of State with the approval of the Treasury may, out of money provided by Parliament, make grants to the Board during the financial years of the Board ending in March 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982 of such amount as he may consider requisite for the purpose.

(3) The aggregate amount of the grants made by the Secretary of State under this section shall not exceed the limit specified in subsection (4) below.

(4) The said limit is £75 million, but the Secretary of State may, on one or more occasions, by order made with the approval of the Treasury increase or further increase the limit, but not so as to raise that limit to a sum exceeding £100 million.

An order under this subsection shall be contained in a statutory instrument, and an order shall not be made under this subsection unless a draft of the order has been approved by resolution of the Commons House of Parliament.

(5) Grants under this section may be made subject to such conditions as the Secretary of State with the approval of the Treasury may determine.

(6) In this section—

• " assisted areas " has the same meaning as in section 6(2) of the [1972 c. 63.] Industry Act 1972, read with section 15 of that Act,

• " colliery activities " has the meaning given by section 63(1) of the Act of 1946.

(7) Section 9 of the Act of 1973 (grants by reference to contraction of the coal mining industry) shall cease to have effect.