National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990

8 Transfer of property, rights and liabilities to NHS trust

(1) The Secretary of State may by order transfer or provide for the transfer to an NHS trust, with effect from such date as may be specified in the order, of such of the property, rights and liabilities of a health authority or of the Secretary of State as, in his opinion, need to be transferred to the trust for the purpose of enabling it to carry out its functions.

(2) An order under this section may create or impose such new rights or liabilities in respect of what is transferred or what is retained by a health authority or the Secretary of State as appear to him to be necessary or expedient.

(3) Nothing in this section affects the power of the Secretary of State or any power of a health authority to transfer property, rights or liabilities to an NHS trust otherwise than under subsection (1) above.

(4) Stamp duty shall not be chargeable in respect of any transfer to an NHS trust effected by or by virtue of an order under this section.

(5) Where an order under this section provides for the transfer—

(a) of land held on lease from a third party, that is to say, a person other than the Secretary of State or a health authority, or

(b) of any other asset leased or hired from a third party or in which a third party has an interest,

the transfer shall be binding on the third party notwithstanding that, apart from this subsection, it would have required his consent or concurrence.

(6) Any property, rights and liabilities which are to be transferred to an NHS trust shall be identified by agreement between the trust and a health authority or, in default of agreement, by direction of the Secretary of State.

(7) Where, for the purpose of a transfer pursuant to an order under this section, it becomes necessary to apportion any property, rights or liabilities, the order may contain such provisions as appear to the Secretary of State to be appropriate for the purpose; and where any such property or rights fall within subsection (5) above, the order shall contain such provisions as appear to the Secretary of State to be appropriate to safeguard the interests of third parties, including, where appropriate, provision for the payment of compensation of an amount to be determined in accordance with the order.

(8) In the case of any transfer made by or pursuant to an order under this section, a certificate issued by the Secretary of State that any property specified in the certificate or any such interest in or right over any such property as may be so specified, or any right or liability so specified, is vested in the NHS trust specified in the order shall be conclusive evidence of that fact for all purposes.

(9) Without prejudice to subsection (4) of section 126 of the principal Act, an order under this section may include provision for matters to be settled by arbitration by a person determined in accordance with the order.