Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946

1 Establishment of National Coal Board and functions thereof.

(1) There shall be a National Coal Board which shall, on and after the primary vesting date, be charged with the duties of—

(a) working and getting the coal in Great Britain, to the exclusion (save as in this Act provided) of any other person ;

(b) securing the efficient development of the coal-mining industry ; and

(c) making supplies of coal available, of such qualities and sizes, in such quantities and at such prices, as may seem to them best calculated to further the public interest in all respects, including the avoidance of any undue or unreasonable preference or advantage.

(2) The functions of the National Coal Board (in this Act referred to as " the Board ") shall include the carrying on of all such activities as it may appear to the Board to be requisite, advantageous or convenient for them to carry on for or in connection with the discharge of their duties under the preceding subsection, and in particular, but without prejudice to the generality of this section,—

(a) searching and boring for coal in Great Britain, to the exclusion of any other person ;

(b) treating, rendering saleable, supplying and selling coal ;

(c) producing, manufacturing, treating, rendering saleable, supplying and selling products of coal;

(d) producing or manufacturing any goods or utilities which are of a kind required by the Board for or in connection with the working and getting of coal or any other of their activities, or which can advantageously be produced or manufactured by the Board by reason of their having materials or facilities for the production or manufacture thereof in connection with the working and getting of coal or any other of their activities, and supplying and selling goods or utilities so produced or manufactured;

(e) any activities which can advantageously be carried on by the Board with a view to making the best use of any of the assets vested in them by this Act;

(f) activities conducive to advancing the skill of persons employed or to be employed for the purposes of any of the activities aforesaid, or the efficiency of equipment and methods to be used therefor, including the provision by the Board themselves, and their assisting the provision by others, of facilities for training, education and research.

(3) The Board shall have power to do any thing and to enter into any transaction (whether or not involving the expenditure, borrowing in accordance with the provisions of this Act in that behalf or lending of money, the acquisition of any property or rights, or the disposal of any property or rights not in their opinion required for the proper discharge of their functions) which in their opinion is calculated to facilitate the proper discharge of their duties under subsection (1) of this section or the carrying on by them of any such activities as aforesaid, or is incidental or conducive thereto.

(4) The policy of the Board shall be directed to securing, consistently with the proper discharge of their duties under subsection (1) of this section,—

(a) the safety, health and welfare of persons in their employment;

(b) the benefit of the practical knowledge and experience of such persons in the organisation and conduct of the operations in which they are employed ;

(c) that the revenues of the Board shall not be less than sufficient for meeting all their outgoings properly chargeable to revenue account (including, without prejudice to the generality of that expression, provisions in respect of their obligations under sections twenty-eight and twenty-nine of this Act) on an average of good and bad years.