The Public Bodies Act 2011 (c. 24) makes provision for the abolition, by order, of any body or office specified in Schedule 1 to that Act and an associated transfer of functions from the body or office to an eligible person as defined in section 1 of that Act. One such office in Schedule 1 is the Registrar of Public Lending Right (“the Registrar”). The British Library Board (“the Board”) is an eligible person by virtue of section 1(3)(b) of the Public Bodies Act 2011, as a person other than a Minister exercising public functions.

The Registrar was established under section 1(3) of and the Schedule to the Public Lending Right Act 1979 (c. 10), and operates the Public Lending Right Scheme 1982, which is set out in Appendix 2 to S.I. 1990/2360. The Board was established under section 1(2) of the British Library Act 1972 (c. 54).

Article 2 of this Order abolishes the Registrar.

Article 3 transfers the functions of the Registrar to the Board.

Article 4 transfers the property, rights and liabilities of the Registrar to the Board.

Articles 5 and 6 impose final reporting and accounting obligations on the Board in relation to the period preceding the Registrar’s abolition.

Article 7 makes consequential, supplementary and incidental amendments to primary and secondary legislation as set out in Schedules 1 and 2 respectively.

Article 8 makes provision for various supplementary matters including the continuing validity and effect of anything done by or in relation to the Registrar after its abolition and the transfer of its functions, property, rights and liabilities to the Board.

A full impact assessment as to the effect that this Order will have on the costs of business, the voluntary sector and the public sector is available on the Government website at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/173004/Final_Stage_Impact_Assessment_for_Public_Lending_Right_proposals.pdf. This impact assessment is also published with the Explanatory Document alongside the instrument on www.legislation.gov.uk.