Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975

1 (1) Without prejudice to section 69 of the Act of 1973 (subsidiary powers of local authorities), a local authority may borrow such sums as may be required for any of the following purposes—

(a) for acquiring any land which the authority have power to acquire ;

(b) for erecting any building which the authority have power to erect;

(c) for the execution of any permanent work or the provision of any plant or the doing of any other thing which the authority have power to execute, provide or do and which involves expenses of a capital nature or for the payment of any sum of a capital nature ;

(d) for the purpose of lending to a relevant authority or to any community council established for the area of the local authority or any part thereof under Part IV of the Act of 1973 ;

(e) for any other purpose for which the authority are authorised under any enactment to borrow.

(2) A local authority may borrow such sums as are required to meet expenses, other than expenses to which sub-paragraph (1) above relates, which the authority have power to incur in the exercise of any of their functions (excluding functions relating to a public utility undertaking) where by reason of their nature they are satisfied that the expenses should be met by borrowing and repayment spread over a term of years.

(3) A local authority may borrow such sums as are necessary in order to provide working capital or to meet any other expenses, not being expenses of a capital nature, required for the purposes of any public utility undertaking carried on by the authority:

Provided that—

(a) the total sums borrowed under this sub-paragraph and for the time being outstanding shall not, except with the consent of the Secretary of State, exceed an amount representing one half of the gross revenue of the undertaking for the immediately preceding financial year ;

(b) any sum borrowed under this sub-paragraph to defray expenses shall be repaid as soon as reasonably practicable and in any case before the expiration of the period within which money borrowed to meet such expenses is ordinarily repaid in the case of such an undertaking, so however that any sum borrowed under this sub-paragraph shall be repaid before the expiration of two years from the date of borrowing, unless the consent of the Secretary of State is obtained to repayment thereof being spread over a longer period, and such consent may be given subject to such conditions as the Secretary of State may determine.

(4) Sub-paragraphs (1)(a), (b) and (c) and (2) above shall apply to a water development board and to a river purification board as they apply to a local authority.

(5) In this paragraph " public utility undertaking" means a transport or other revenue-producing undertaking of a local authority.