Crown Agents Act 1979

5 Authorised non-agency activities

(1) The Crown Agents shall have power to carry on in their own right anywhere in the world any of the following activities—

(a) providing any of the services mentioned in subsection (2) to scheduled authorities and bodies, but not to any other person;

(b) procuring, subject to subsection (3), movable property of any kind, being property for which the Crown Agents anticipate a demand on the part of one or more of the scheduled authorities and bodies, and selling any such property to any such authority or body or (subject to subsection (3)) to any other person.

(2) The services referred to in subsection (1)(a) are—

(a) technical inspection services (including testing);

(b) giving professional or technical advice;

(c) carrying out feasibility studies ;

(d) supervision and management of projects;

(e) appraisal of proposals;

(f) certification in connection with contracts ;

(g) consultancy services;

(h) training services;

(i) provision and management of staff;

(j) services as a trustee or nominee;

(k) acting as registrar, and performing related functions, for the purposes of any loan raised by a scheduled authority or body;

(l) subject to subsection (3), procuring movable property of any kind, being property required by one or more of the scheduled authorities and bodies, and selling it to such of those authorities and bodies as require it;

(m) subject to subsection (3), assembling, installing, commissioning or maintaining any equipment procured and sold in pursuance of paragraph (l);

(n) providing on commercial terms—

(i) short-term credit in cases where a payment falls to be made by the Crown Agents, as agents of any scheduled authority or body, before the principal has done any of the things mentioned in section 8 (2)(a) and (b); or

(ii) subject to subsection (3), credit in connection with the sale of any movable property in pursuance of subsection (1)(b) or paragraph (l).

(3) The following powers of the Crown Agents under subsection (1), namely—

(a) the power under subsection (1)(a) to procure movable property in pursuance of subsection (2)(l);

(b) the power under subsection (1)(a) to provide any of the services mentioned in subsection (2)(m);

(c) the power under subsection (1)(a) to provide credit as mentioned in subsection (2)(n)(ii);

(d) the power under subsection (1)(b) to procure movable property; and

(e) the power under subsection (1)(b) to sell property procured under subsection (1)(b) to a person other than a scheduled authority or body,

shall be exercisable only with the consent of the Minister.

(4) Where as agents of any scheduled authority or body the Crown Agents receive any sum for disbursement or investment on behalf of the principal, they shall have power in their own right, pending the disbursement or investment of that sum on behalf of the principal, to make use of it for their own benefit by investing it in their own name in accordance with regulations.

(5) The Minister may by order confer on the Crown Agents power in their own right to carry on anywhere in the world any activity not authorised by subsection (1).

(6) Any order under subsection (5) conferring power to carry on any activity may be framed so as to confer power to carry on that activity only in accordance with conditions specified in the order.

(7) No order shall be made under subsection (5) unless a draft of the order has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.