Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972

73 Use of money forming part of capital fund or renewal and repairs fund. N.I.

(1) Subject to the conditions set out in subsection (2), a council may use, for any purpose for which the council has power to borrow, any money forming part of, but not for the time being required for the purposes of, any capital fund or renewal and repairs fund established by the council.

(2) The conditions on which money may be used as mentioned in subsection (1) are as follows—

(a) where the power to borrow depends on the approval of the Ministry, the money shall be used only with that approval and subject to such conditions as are approved by the Ministry;

(b) where the money is used for a temporary purpose, it shall be used subject to any limitations which by virtue of paragraph ( a) or ( b) of section 61(2) affect temporary borrowing;

(c) the money shall be repaid to the fund as and when it is required for the purposes of the fund, if it is not required to be paid earlier by virtue of any conditions such as are mentioned in paragraph ( a) or any limitations such as are mentioned in paragraph ( b);

(d) the money shall be repaid to the fund out of the district fund, or out of money which would have been applicable to the repayment of a loan raised under the power to borrow, and shall be made by the method by which a loan raised under the power would be repayable;

(e) in the accounts of the district fund, an amount equal to interest at the appropriate rate on so much of the money as has not been repaid to the capital fund or the renewal and repairs fund shall be credited to the capital fund or, as the case requires, the renewal and repairs fund and debited to the undertaking or purpose for which the money has been so used;

(f) the power to borrow shall be deemed to be exercised by the use of money under this section as fully in all respects as if a loan of the same amount had been raised in exercise of the power, and the provisions of section 68 as to the re-borrowing of sums raised under that power shall apply accordingly.

(3) In this section “interest at the appropriate rate” means interest at such rate as may be determined by the council to be equal as nearly as may be to the rate of interest which would be payable on a loan raised on mortgage under the power to borrow.