(1 )F1All expenditure which the Ministry, after consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, may certify as having been incurred by the Ministry in or in connection with the preparation or carrying into effect of a scheme (in this section called “scheme expenditure”) shall, in the first instance and subject to the provisions of sub-section (3), be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament, or, if the Ministry thinks fit, out of the Consolidated Fund, so, however, that the amount to be defrayed out of the Consolidated Fund shall not exceed one hundred and fifty thousand pounds.
(2)Expenditure incurred by the Ministry under this Act other than scheme expenditure shall be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament.
(3)All scheme expenditure shall be recouped to the Ministry by the Ministry of Agriculture at such times and in such manner as the Ministry may direct as if it had been expenditure incurred by the Ministry as the agent of and on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture in carrying the provisions of [F2 the Drainage (Northern Ireland) Order 1973 [1973 NI 1] ], into effect and scheme expenditure so recouped by the Ministry of Agriculture shall be deemed to be expenditure incurred by that Ministry in carrying the provisions of that Act into effect and, as such, to be expenditure towards which contributions shall be paid by the council of each county or county borough under section twenty-three of that Act; and the said section twenty-three shall have effect accordingly.
(4 )F1The Ministry may borrow money for the purposes of providing issues out of the Consolidated Fund under sub-section (1) and moneys so borrowed shall be repaid within any period or periods not exceeding twenty-five years from the date of borrowing and provision for such repayment may be made out of moneys provided by Parliament.