54Power to designate authorities
(1)As regards a financial year the Secretary of State may designate an authority if in his opinion—
(a)the amount calculated by it as its budget requirement for the year is excessive; or
(b)there is an excessive increase in the amount so calculated over the amount calculated by it as its budget requirement for the preceding financial year.
(2)A decision whether to designate an authority shall be made in accordance with principles determined by the Secretary of State and, in the case of an authority falling within any of the classes specified in subsection (3) below, those principles shall be the same either—
(a)for all authorities falling within that class; or
(b)for all of them which respectively have and have not been designated under this Chapter, or (as the case may be) Part VII of the 1988 Act, as regards the preceding financial year.
(3)The classes are—
(a)councils of metropolitan districts;
(b)councils of non-metropolitan districts;
(c)councils of inner London boroughs;
(d)councils of outer London boroughs;
(e)county councils;
(f)metropolitan county police authorities and the Northumbria Police Authority; and
(g)metropolitan county fire and civil defence authorities.
(4)Subject to subsection (6) below, any reference in subsection (1) above to the amount calculated by a billing authority as its budget requirement for a financial year shall be construed as a reference to the amount so calculated less the aggregate amount for the year of any precepts—
(a)issued to it by local precepting authorities; or
(b)anticipated by it in pursuance of regulations under section 41 above,
which were taken into account by it in making the calculation under section 32(2) above.
(5)In construing subsection (1) above any calculation for which another has been substituted at the time designation is proposed shall be ignored.
(6)The Secretary of State may by order provide that subsection (4) above shall not apply in relation to—
(a)any financial year specified in the order; or
(b)any other financial year in so far as it provides the basis of comparison for the purposes of subsection (1)(b) above in relation to a year so specified.
(7)A statutory instrument containing an order under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of the House of Commons.