Local Government and Housing Act 1989

51 Variation of credit arrangements

(1) This section (other than subsection (10) below) applies where the terms of a credit arrangement entered into by a local authority are varied (whether by the making of a new contract or otherwise) in such a way that, if the effect of the variation had been part of the arrangement at the time it came into being, the initial cost would have been greater than it was.

(2) If, in the case of a credit arrangement falling within subsection (5) of section 49 above,—

(a) the option in question is exercised in a way different from that which was assumed for the purposes of that section, or

(b) it was assumed for the purposes of that section that the option in question would not be exercised but it is in fact exercised,

the exercise of the option shall be regarded for the purposes of this section as a variation of the terms of the credit arrangement; and if, in such a case, it was assumed for the purposes of section 49 above that the option would be exercised (or would be exercised in a particular way) and it subsequently appears to the local authority that it will not in fact be exercised, the option shall be assumed to have been abandoned and that abandonment shall be regarded for the purposes of this section as a variation of the terms of the credit arrangement.

(3) A local authority may not at any time agree to such a variation as is mentioned in subsection (1) above if to do so would mean that, immediately after the variation, the total referred to in section 44(1) above would exceed the aggregate credit limit for the time being applicable to the authority by virtue of section 62 below.

(4) Where a credit arrangement is varied as mentioned in subsection (1) above, the local authority shall secure that there is available to it an amount of credit cover equal to whichever is the less of—

(a) the difference between the total amount of consideration paid and payable under the arrangement, disregarding the variation and the total amount of the consideration paid and payable under the arrangement as varied; and

(b) the difference between the adjusted cost of the arrangement and the credit cover already made available in connection with the arrangement in accordance with section 50 above;

and subsections (3) and (5) of section 50 above apply for the purposes of this section as they apply for the purposes of that section, except that, in subsection (5), the reference to the time when the arrangement comes into being shall be construed as a reference to the time when it is varied.

(5) Subject to subsection (7) below, the adjusted cost of the arrangement referred to in subsection (4)(b) above is the aggregate of—

(a) the consideration which, in the financial year in which the arrangement is varied and in any earlier financial year, has been or falls to be given by the local authority; and

(b) the amount which, at the time of the variation, the authority estimate will be the cost of the arrangement, as varied, in each subsequent financial year determined as follows.

(6) Subject to subsection (7) below, for any subsequent financial year the cost of the arrangement as varied shall be determined by the formula in section 49(2) above but, for this purpose,—

• “x” is the amount of the consideration which the authority estimate will be given by them in that financial year under the arrangement as varied;

• “r” is the percentage rate of discount for the financial year in which the arrangement is varied, as prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State for the purposes of section 49 above;

• “n” is the financial year in which the consideration falls to be given, expressed as a year subsequent to the financial year in which the arrangement is varied (so that the first of the subsequent financial years is 1, the next is 2, and so on).

(7) Subsections (5) and (6) above do not apply in relation to a credit arrangement as to which the method of calculating the initial cost and the cost at any time is provided for by regulations under section 49(3) above; and any adjusted cost or cost which would otherwise fall to be determined in accordance with those subsections shall be determined in accordance with provisions made by the regulations.

(8) Where a credit arrangement is varied as mentioned in subsection (1) above, the cost of the arrangement at any time after the variation shall be determined in accordance with subsections (5) and (6) above (in like manner as the determination of the adjusted cost) but on the basis of an estimate made at the time in question and leaving out of account any consideration which has been given by the authority under the arrangement before that time.

(9) If, at any time after the terms of a credit arrangement have been varied as mentioned in subsection (1) above, the terms of the arrangement are again varied, the preceding provisions of this section shall have effect with any necessary modifications and, in particular, as if,—

(a) the reference in subsection (1) above to the time the arrangement came into being were a reference to the time at which the arrangement was varied (or, as the case may be, last varied) as mentioned in that subsection;

(b) the reference in that subsection to the initial cost were a reference to the adjusted cost of the arrangement as so varied (or last varied); and

(c) the reference in paragraph (b) of subsection (4) above to the credit cover already made available in accordance with section 50 above included a reference to any additional credit cover made available under that subsection at the time of an earlier variation.

(10) If at any time the terms of a credit arrangement are varied otherwise than as mentioned in subsection (1) above, then, so far as the variation affects the consideration falling to be paid by the local authority in any year, account shall be taken of the variation in determining the cost of the arrangement at any subsequent time (under subsection (8) above or subsection (3) or subsection (4) of section 49 above) but for other purposes the variation shall be disregarded.