(1)The Secretary of State may, after consultation with the Health and Safety Executive and with a person to whom this section applies, give to that person such directions of a general character as appear to the Secretary of State to be requisite or expedient for the purpose of preserving the security of any offshore installation, onshore terminal or oil refinery.
(2)If it appears to the Secretary of State to be requisite or expedient to do so for the purpose mentioned in subsection (1) above, he may, after consultation with the Health and Safety Executive and with a person to whom this section applies, give to that person a direction requiring him (according to the circumstances of the case) to do, or not to do, a particular thing specified in the direction.
(3)A person to whom this section applies shall give effect to any direction given to him by the Secretary of State under this section notwithstanding any other duty imposed on him by or under any enactment.
(4)The Secretary of State shall lay before each House of Parliament a copy of every direction given under this section unless he is of the opinion that disclosure of the direction is against the interests of national security or the commercial interests of any person.
(5)A person shall not disclose, or be required by virtue of any enactment or otherwise to disclose, anything done by virtue of this section if the Secretary of State has notified him that the Secretary of State is of the opinion that disclosure of that thing is against the interests of national security or the commercial interests of some other person.
(6)This section applies to any person who is the operator of an offshore installation, onshore terminal or oil refinery.
(7)In this section—
“offshore installation” has the same meaning as in section 1 above;
“oil refinery” includes an installation for processing petroleum products;
“onshore terminal” means an onshore terminal which receives petroleum directly or indirectly from an offshore installation;
“petroleum” has the same meaning as in [F1Part I of the Petroleum Act 1998];
“petroleum products” has the same meaning as in the M1Energy Act 1976.
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 5(7) substituted (15.2.1999) by 1998 c. 17, ss. 50, Sch. 4 para. 33(4) (with Sch. 3 para. 5(1)); S.I. 1999/161, art. 2(1)
Marginal Citations