Part 13 – Land Authority for Wales
178.The Land Authority for Wales was established in 1976 under the Common Land Act 1975. Its role was to buy land on behalf of the UK Government for industrial or other forms of development to encourage economic growth. Its functions for Wales were transferred to the WDA in 1998 and then it was abolished. The functions of the WDA were subsequently transferred to the Welsh Ministers following the abolition of the WDA.
179.The transfer of its functions and the cessation of the operation of the Land Authority for Wales was achieved through the 1998 Act. Some of the provisions in the 1998 Act are no longer required. Therefore paragraph 52 of Schedule 1 amends that Act because:
section 134 ended the operation of the Land Authority and as that has now happened this provision is spent and is therefore omitted;
section 135(1) describes a connection between sections 134 and 135. The Act omits this as it has the potential to mislead once section 134 is omitted;
section 136 made provision about the transfer of staff, property, etc. from the Land Authority for Wales to the WDA. Now that the Land Authority for Wales and WDA have both ceased to exist, most of the section is spent. The Act therefore omits section 136(1) and (3) to (5). Section 136(2) is retained as it provides assistance in establishing evidence of property transfers;
section 137 deals with savings and transitional provisions. The cross-reference to section 134 in subsection (1) is omitted as the Act is repealing section 134, and subsections (2) to (4) are spent transitional provisions that can now also be omitted;
section 139 provided a power to the Secretary of State to direct the Land Authority ceased to exist. This power has been exercised(20) and therefore this section is spent. It is omitted by the Act; and
the Secretary of State exercised the power under section 139 (Abolition etc.) to direct that the Land Authority for Wales ceased to exist so this section is spent and is omitted. The references to section 139(3) in section 154 of the 1998 Act (which makes provision regarding how orders and directions under the Act may be exercised) are also omitted, as are references to powers in section 136(4).
see the Land Authority for Wales (Abolition) Order 1999 (SI 1999/372)
