Nature Conservancy Council Act 1973

21 (1) The Secretary of State may at any time by order made by statutory instrument make such incidental, consequential transitional or supplementary provision as may appear to him to be necessary or proper for the general or any particular purposes of this Act or in consequence of any of the provisions thereof or for giving full effect thereto, and nothing in any other provision of this Act shall be construed as prejudicing the generality of this sub-paragraph.

(2) An order under this paragraph may include provision for the transfer of rights, liabilities and obligations to the Council in connection with the transfer to them of functions discharged by the Natural Environment Research Council before the day appointed by section 1(7) above, and may in particular provide—

(a) for the transfer and management or custody of property, whether real or personal, and in Scotland whether heritable or moveable, held by the Natural Environment Research Council wholly or partly for the purpose of any such function ; and

(b) for treating anything duly done by that Council in the exercise of any such function before the said appointed day as having been duly done by the Nature Conservancy Council and treating any instrument made before that day by the Natural Environment Research Council, if or so far as it was made in the exercise of any such function, as continuing in force on and after that day until varied or revoked by the Nature Conservancy Council.

(3) Subject to sub-paragraph (4) below, any agreement, appointment, licence, byelaws, authorisation or other instrument in writing made or granted or treated by virtue of any enactment as having been made or granted by or to or in relation to the Natural Environment Research Council in connection with the discharge of any such function shall, as from the said appointed day, be treated as having been made or granted by, to or in relation to the Nature Conservancy Council.

(4) Sub-paragraph (3) above is without prejudice to any provision made by an order under this paragraph, but has effect subject to any provision to the contrary made by such an order and in particular may be excluded by such an order from applying either wholly or to any specified extent in any particular case.