National Insurance Act 1965

73 Regulations for determination of questions.

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 64 to 72 but subject to any other provision of this Act, in the case of any question arising under or in connection with this Act, including any claim for benefit, other than a question such as is mentioned in section 64(1)(d) of this Act, provision may be made by regulations for the determination of that question by the Minister or by a person or tribunal appointed or constituted in accordance with the regulations; and any such regulations may vary or revoke the provisions of sections 64, 65(1) to (4), 66 to 72 and 77 of this Act so far as they relate to any question to which the regulations relate.

(2) As respects any question as to the right to benefit other than such a question as is mentioned in section 64(1) or 74(1) of this Act and other than a question as to entitlement to a death grant, regulations under subsection (1) of this section shall not provide for the determination of that question by the Minister but, subject to subsection (3) of this section, shall provide—

(a) for the submission of the question in the first instance to an officer appointed by the Minister;

(b) for authorising the said officer either himself to determine the question or to refer it to a local tribunal, and for enabling an appeal to be brought from the officer's decision to such a tribunal;

(c) for enabling an appeal to be brought from such a tribunal to, or to a tribunal presided over by, the National Insurance Commissioner or a deputy Commissioner appointed under section 78 of this Act.

(3) Regulations made by virtue of subsection (2) of this section may provide for the submission of different aspects of the same question to different officers; and for that purpose paragraphs (a) and (b) of that subsection shall have effect subject to the necessary modifications.

(4) Regulations under subsection (1) of this section may provide for the reference to the High Court for decision of any question of law arising in connection with the determination of a question by the Minister, and for appeals to the High Court from the decision of the Minister on any such question of law; and subsections (5) to (8) of section 65 of this Act shall apply to any reference or appeal under this subsection as they apply to any reference or appeal under subsections (1) to (3) of that section.

(5) In the application of subsection (4) of this section to Scotland, for references to the High Court there shall be substituted references to the Court of Session.