Law of Property Act 1922

Disputes to be submitted to the Minister.

16 (1) If the lessor and lessee or underlessee or the lessor's agent (as the case may require) do not agree, or any dispute arises as to the amount or date for payment of any annual instalment of additional rent, or the amount for which the same ought to be commuted, or the amount at which any rent ought to be adjusted, or apportioned, or the amount of compensation (if any) payable by the lessor to his officer, solicitor or other agent, the question or dispute shall be submitted to the Minister for determination, when the parties may be represented by solicitors or counsel, and the award of the Minister shall (subject only to such appeal to the court as may be prescribed by rules of court) be final,

(2) The Minister may issue regulations in respect of any of the matters aforesaid, and determine by whom and in what proportions the cost of any application to the Minister shall be paid.

(3) If a dispute as to the amount for which any annual instalment of additional rent ought to be commuted is submitted) to the Minister, and if the lessor would (under the lease or under lease subsisting at the commencement of this Act, or any lease or underlease which would have been subsisting if this Act had not been passed and the successive renewable leases or underleases had been renewed in the ordinary course) have had a right to refuse renewal by reason of a default in payment of a fine, then the Minister shall, in the arbitration, have regard to the value of such right (unless compensation has been given for the loss of the right) in like manner as if a corresponding; absolute right to determine the term or subterm created by this Act had, by reason of a corresponding default, been made exerciseable by the lessor at the time at which the renewable lease or underlease would have expired if the lessor had lawfully refused to renew it.