Ports Act 1991

Description of provisions E+W+S

7 E+W+S Provision altering the constitution of the authority.

8 E+W+S Provision imposing obligations on the authority with respect to—

(a) the keeping of accounts and records in relation to the accounts;

(b) the preparation in respect of any period in respect of which such a statement is required by the scheme of a statement of accounts relating to the state of affairs and the income and expenditure of the authority; and

(c) the audit of the authority’s accounts by auditors qualified for the purpose in accordance with the scheme;

and requiring copies of audited accounts and the report of the auditor on such accounts to be sent to the appropriate Minister.

Provision under this paragraph may include in particular a requirement that any such statement of accounts should comply with requirements imposed by the appropriate Minister in such manner, and with respect to such matters, as may be specified in the scheme.

9 (1) Provision that— E+W+S

(a) for the purposes of any statutory accounts of the successor company and for such other purposes (if any) as may be prescribed the value of any asset and the amount of any liability transferred to the successor company under section 2 or 7 above shall be taken to be the pre-transfer value of that asset or (as the case may be) the pre-transfer amount of that liability;

(b) a prescribed amount not exceeding any accumulated realised profits of the relevant port authority in question at the date of the transfer under section 2 above shall be treated as accumulated realised profits of the successor company;

(c) subject to any provision made by virtue of the preceding provisions of this sub-paragraph, for the purposes of any statutory accounts of the successor company the amount to be included in respect of any item shall be determined as if anything done by the authority (whether by way of acquiring, revaluing or disposing of any asset or incurring, revaluing or discharging any liability, or by carrying any amount to any provision or reserve, or otherwise) had been done by the successor company.

(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(a) above the pre-transfer value of an asset or (as the case may be) the pre-transfer amount of a liability is—

(a) in the case of an asset or liability transferred under section 2 above, the value or (as the case may be) the amount which would have been assigned to that asset or liability for the purposes of the last statutory accounts of the relevant port authority in question if the accounting year of that authority dealt with in those accounts had ended immediately before the date of the transfer; and

(b) in the case of an asset or liability transferred under section 7 above, the value or (as the case may be) the amount assigned to that asset or liability for the purposes of the last statement of accounts prepared by the authority by virtue of any provision of the scheme made under paragraph 8 above.

(3) In sub-paragraph (1) above “prescribed” , in relation to any provision that may be made by the scheme, means specified or described in or determined in accordance with the scheme.

10 (1) Provision requiring the successor company either— E+W+S

(a) to prepare a statement of accounts relating to the state of affairs and the income and expenditure of the relevant port authority in question in respect of any residual accounting period of that authority; or

(b) to deal with those matters in its statutory accounts in respect of any period which consists of or includes any residual accounting period of that authority.

(2) Provision under sub-paragraph (1)(a) above may include provision corresponding to that authorised under paragraph 8 above in relation to the authority’s accounts.

(3) Provision under sub-paragraph (1)(b) above may impose requirements with respect to the manner in which the matters there mentioned are to be dealt with in the successor company’s statutory accounts.

(4) References in this paragraph to a residual accounting period of the relevant port authority are references to any period falling after the end of the accounting year of that authority dealt with in the authority’s last statutory accounts.

11 (1) Provision for applying sections 270 to 276 of the M1 Companies Act 1985 (relevant accounts for determining whether a distribution is lawful) in relation to any initial distribution of the successor company as if— E+W+S

(a) the accounts prepared by that company in accordance with the provision authorised below in this paragraph were accounts relevant under section 270; and

(b) references in section 273 to initial accounts included references to any such accounts.

(2) The accounts referred to in sub-paragraph (1) above are such accounts as, on such assumptions as may be specified in or made in accordance with any provision of the scheme, would have been prepared under Part VII of the M2 Companies Act 1985 in respect of the last accounting year of the relevant port authority in question ending before the date on which the transfer under section 2 above takes effect.

(3) The provision that may be made by the scheme with respect to those accounts includes provision corresponding to that authorised under paragraph 9(1)(c) above in relation to statutory accounts of the successor company.

(4) The reference in sub-paragraph (1) above to an initial distribution of the successor company is a reference to any distribution declared—

(a) during the accounting reference period of that company which includes the date on which the transfer under section 2 above takes effect; or

(b) before any accounts of that company are laid or delivered to the registrar of companies in respect of that period.

Marginal Citations

M1 1985 c. 6.

M2 1985 c. 6.

12 E+W+S Such supplementary, incidental or consequential provision as appears to the relevant port authority in question (or, where the scheme is made by the Secretary of State, to the Secretary of State) to be necessary or expedient for the purposes or in consequence of, or in connection with, the operation of any provision of Part I above or of the scheme.

Provision under this paragraph may include in particular provision for repealing or amending any local statutory provision affecting the relevant port authority in question or any harbour for which that authority are the harbour authority; and any such provision may be made so as to take effect on the date on which the scheme takes effect or on the date on which the authority are dissolved under section 7 above.