For section 90 of the 1973 Act there shall be substituted the following section—
(1)A local authority may—
(a)provide, or encourage any other person to provide, facilities for leisure, conferences, trade fairs and exhibitions or improve, or encourage any other person to improve, any existing facilities for those purposes;
(b)promote, by advertisement or otherwise, facilities provided by that local authority (whether such facilities are owned by the authority or otherwise);
(c)organise, or assist others in the organisation of, and promote, by advertisement or otherwise, conferences, trade fairs and exhibitions;
(d)participate in the area tourist board whose area includes the area of that authority.
(2)Subject to subsection (3) below, a local authority shall not have power to—
(a)encourage persons, by advertisement or otherwise (and whether inside or outside the United Kingdom)—
(i)to visit their area for purposes relating to leisure; or
(ii)to hold conferences, trade fairs or exhibitions within their area;
(b)provide information about accommodation and facilities and services relating to leisure in their area or provide a booking service for such accommodation, to persons visiting their area;
(c)carry on such other activities relating to those mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (b) above as the Secretary of State may by regulations specify.
(3)A local authority shall have power to do any of the things mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (2) above—
(a)in so far as it is necessary to do any of those things for the purposes of carrying on the activities mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) above; or
(b)where the Secretary of State has given his prior consent (subject to such conditions as he considers necessary or expedient) in writing.
(4)A local authority shall not, for the purposes of carrying on activities relating to tourism other than—
(a)those such as are mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (d) of subsection (1) above; or
(b)by virtue of subsection (3) above, those such as are mentioned in subsection (2) above,
form, acquire or join with any person or body corporate.
(5)Without prejudice to subsection (1) above, a local authority may contribute towards expenses incurred by any person—
(a)doing anything mentioned in paragraph (a) of that subsection; or
(b)organising and holding a conference, trade fair or exhibition.
(6)A local authority may appoint officers for the purposes of enabling the authority to carry out any of their powers under this section; and section 65 of this Act shall apply in relation to any officers appointed under this subsection subject to the following modifications—
(a)references to “another local authority” shall be construed as if they were references to an area tourist board; and
(b)in subsection (2), the words from “but” to the end shall be omitted.
(7)A statutory instrument containing regulations under subsection (2)(c) above shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
(8)In this section—
(a)“area tourist board” means a board established by virtue of an order made or, as the case may be, approved under section 172, 173 or 174 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994;
(b)“participate” means participation in any one or more of the following ways—
(i)a local authority or any person representative of a local authority being a member of the area tourist board whose area includes the area of that authority;
(ii)provision by a local authority to such a board of financial assistance for the purposes of the board’s carrying out activities relating to tourism;
(iii)provision by a local authority to such a board of staff; and
(c)section 171A(3) of this Act shall apply to this section with the substitution for any references to a person of references to an area tourist board.”.