Health and Social Care Act 2012

58 Radiation protection functions

(1) The appropriate authority must take such steps as it considers appropriate for the purposes of protecting the public from radiation (whether ionising or not).

(2) The steps that may be taken under subsection (1) include—

(a) the conduct of research or such other steps as the appropriate authority considers appropriate for advancing knowledge and understanding;

(b) providing technical services (whether in laboratories or otherwise);

(c) providing services for the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness arising from exposure to radiation;

(d) providing training;

(e) providing information and advice;

(f) making available the services of any person or any facilities.

(3) The appropriate authority may do anything which it considers appropriate for facilitating, or incidental or conducive to, the exercise of any of its functions under this section.

(4) The appropriate authority may make charges (whether or not on a commercial basis) in respect of anything done by it under this section.

(5) In the exercise of any function under this section which relates to a matter in respect of which a Health and Safety body has a function, the appropriate authority must—

(a) consult the body, and

(b) have regard to the body’s policies.

(6) Each of the following is a Health and Safety body—

(a) the Health and Safety Executive;

(b) the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland.

(7) In subsection (2)(f), “facilities” has the same meaning as in the National Health Service Act 2006.

(8) In this section, “the appropriate authority” means—

(a) the Scottish Ministers to the extent that the functions are exercisable within devolved competence (within the meaning of the Scotland Act 1998);

(b) the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland to the extent that the functions relate to a transferred matter (within the meaning of the Northern Ireland Act 1998);

(c) the Secretary of State in any other case.

(9) In this section, “the public” means—

(a) where the appropriate authority is the Secretary of State, the public in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland,

(b) where the appropriate authority is the Scottish Ministers, the public in Scotland, and

(c) where the appropriate authority is the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland, the public in Northern Ireland.

(10) This section does not apply in relation to England.