(1)The Ministry may by order make provision for the transfer from existing local authorities or their officers, on such day or days as are specified in the order, of any functions of those authorities or officers for the transfer of which provision is not made by any other statutory provision (except subsection (2)) to such other authority, being a government department, council or public body, or to such officer of any such other authority, as is specified in the order.
(2)For the purpose of providing for the exercise on and after [F1 1st October 1973] by councils of functions exercisable immediately before that date by urban district councils, where provision for the transfer of those functions is not made by any statutory provision other than this subsection any reference in a transferred provision contained in—
(a)a public general Act passed before [F1 1st October 1973], or
(b)an instrument made before [F1 1st October 1973], not being an instrument in the nature of a local enactment,
to an urban district (whether as such or as a county district or a sanitary district) or to the council of such a district, or any reference which is to be construed as such a reference, shall, except where it is a reference to a specified urban district or urban district council or is to be construed as such, be construed as including a reference to a district or its council, as the case may be.