Transport Act 1968

46 Duty of Boards and new authorities to promote research and development. U.K.

(1) This section applies to the following authorities namely, the Boards and the new authorities.

(2) It shall be incumbent on each of the authorities to whom this section applies to take such steps as appear to them to be practicable and desirable for promoting—

(a) research on lines settled from time to time with the approval of the Minister [F1 or, in the case of the Waterways Board, F2 ... the Scottish Ministers] into matters affecting, or arising out of, the exercise of the functions of that authority or of any subsidiary of that authority; and

(b) the doing of such work as is requisite to enable—

(i) the results of any research into any such matter as aforesaid (whether or not promoted by that authority); and

(ii) anything resulting from any idea affecting, or arising out of, the exercise of any of those functions,

to be turned to account;

but nothing in this subsection shall be construed as imposing upon that authority, either directly or indirectly, any form of duty or liability enforceable by proceedings before any court to which that authority would not otherwise be subject.

(3) An authority to whom this section applies may take such steps as aforesaid with respect to any matter either by themselves carrying out the necessary research or doing the necessary work or by arranging for that research to be carried out or that work to be done by some other person with or without assistance (including financial assistance) from that authority; but nothing in this section shall authorise any such authority to do themselves, either directly or through a subsidiary, any work such as is mentioned in subsection (2)(b) of this section which the authority would not have power to do apart from this section.

(4) In the application of this section to the Scottish Group, the reference to the Minister shall be construed as a reference to the Secretary of State.

(5) In section 27(3) of the Act of 1962 for the words “education and research”there shall be substituted the words “ and education ”.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 46(2)(a) inserted (1.4.2001) by S.I. 2000/3251, arts. 1(2)(b), 2, Sch. 2 Pt. II para. 3(5) (with art. 4)

F2 Words in s. 46(2)(a) omitted (2.7.2012) by virtue of The British Waterways Board (Transfer of Functions) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/1659), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 34 (with arts. 4-6)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 The text of ss. 38(1), 41(8)(9), 44(4), 46(5), 50(10), 51(3), 52(4), 94(7) is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.