This Act may be cited as the Local Government (Contracts) Act 1997.

Sections 2 to 9 shall not come into force until a day appointed by the Secretary of State by order made by statutory instrument; and different days may be appointed for different provisions or purposes.

Sections 1 to 9 apply to any contract which a local authority enters into after 12th June 1997; but in relation to a contract entered into before the day on which section 2 comes into force “the certification period” means the period of six weeks beginning with that day.

Section 10 does not extend to Scotland.

This Act does not extend to Northern Ireland.