8.—(1) Anyone who was a rent officer immediately before 1st October 1999, appointed in pursuance of a scheme made under section 63 of the Rent Act 1977, shall continue to be a rent officer.
(2) Subject to paragraphs (3) to (5) below, anything which before 1st October 1999 was being done by, to or in relation to a rent officer to whom paragraph (1) applies, may be continued after that date by, to or in relation to him.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), where the appointment of a rent officer to whom paragraph (1) applies was made subject to rights, liabilities, powers or duties, any of those rights, liabilities, powers and duties which existed immediately before 1st October 1999 shall continue to exist.
(4) Subject to paragraph (5), all of the proper officer’s and local authority’s rights, liabilities, powers and duties, to which the appointment of a rent officer referred to in paragraph (3) was subject, shall be transferred to the Secretary of State and shall be subject to any modifications necessary to enable them to apply in relation to the Secretary of State instead of the proper officer or, as the case may be, the local authority.
(5) Paragraph (4) shall not transfer or otherwise affect–
(a)the liabilities of any person to be prosecuted for, convicted of and sentenced for any offence; or
(b)the liabilities of any person to pay compensation to or in respect of a rent officer arising from anything done or a failure to do anything before 1st October 1999.