Discharge of liabilities
3.—(1) A charging authority shall in accordance with its schedule of instalments in relation to a financial year pay from its collection fund to its relevant precepting authorities, and transfer from its collection fund to its general fund, such amount as will meet its liabilities for that year.
(2) The requirement in paragraph (1) to make payments or transfers in accordance with a schedule of instalments does not apply where—
(a)a substitute precept or calculation has been issued or made in relation to a financial year, and
(b)that substitute precept or calculation has been issued or made on or after the day of the final instalment to be paid or transferred in accordance with the schedule of instalments in that financial year.
(3) An amount to be paid or transferred by a charging authority in respect of the amount of its liabilities for a financial year shall be paid or transferred—
(a)if the precept or calculation in respect of which that amount is being paid or transferred was issued or made before the end of that financial year, in that financial year, (b) in any other case, as soon as is reasonably practicable after the issue of that precept or making of that calculation.
(4) An amount paid or transferred by a charging authority in respect of the amount of its liabilities for a financial year, whether or not paid or transferred in accordance with a schedule of instalments, shall be treated as discharging those liabilities to the extent of the payment or transfer.
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (4), an amount paid or transferred which—
(a)was treated in accordance with that paragraph as discharging a charging authority’s liabilities, but which (b) was subsequently repaid or credited by the relevant precepting authority concerned under section 71(6) of the Act, or transferred under regulation 9, shall, to the extent of the amount so repaid or credited, or transferred under regulation 9, cease to be treated as discharging those liabilities.
(6) The references in paragraphs (1) and (2) to an authority’s schedule of instalments are references to the schedule of instalments determined by the authority in accordance with regulation 4, or where the authority has amended its schedule in accordance with regulation 6, to its schedule of instalments as it currently has effect. Schedules of instalments