18Without prejudice to paragraph 17 above, any reference in this Act (whether express or implied) to a thing done by a highway authority or other authority under a provision of this Act includes, except where the context otherwise requires, a reference to the corresponding thing done, or having effect as if done, by a predecessor authority under the corresponding enactment repealed by this Act.
In this paragraph " predecessor authority " means—
(a)in relation to the Secretary of State, the Minister of Transport or other Minister exercising the relevant function before the transfer of the function to the Secretary of State;
(b)in relation to the Minister of Transport, the Secretary of State or other Minister exercising the relevant function before the transfer of the function to the Minister of Transport;
(c)in relation to a council, the authority exercising the relevant function before the function vested in the council under the [1972 c. 70.] Local Government Act 1972 or, as the case may be, the [1963 c. 33.] London Government Act 1963.