Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968

37 Further powers to make grants and advances to drainage authorities.

(1) The Minister may, with the approval of the Treasury, make to a river authority grants in respect of expenditure incurred by the authority, and advances on account of expenditure to be incurred by the authority, in connection with the authority's functions under section 34(1)(b) or (c) of the Land Drainage Act 1930 (which relate to the improvement of existing works and the construction of new works)—

(a) in making payments arising from the exercise of any of the powers conferred on the authority by sections 65 and 66 of the [1963 c. 38.] Water Resources Act 1963 (which among other things provide for the acquisition of land and rights over land);

(b) in providing housing accommodation for persons employed or to be employed by the authority in controlling works of such a kind or so located that those persons are or will be required to reside in the vicinity of the works;

(c) in making payments in pursuance of subsection (3) of section 34 of the said Act of 1930 (which provides for compensation for injury arising from the exercise of the powers conferred by that section);

(d) in paying compensation in pursuance of section 38(1C) of the said Act of 1930 (which relates to injury arising from the deposit of matter on the banks of water courses) in respect of injury which the Minister considers was or will be unavoidable,

and grants in respect of or advances on account of expenditure incurred or to be incurred in carrying out works for the rebuilding or repair of any bridge maintained by the authority, other than works appearing to the Minister to be maintenance works of a routine kind.

(2) The Minister may, with the approval of the Treasury, make to an internal drainage board grants in respect of expenditure incurred by the board, and advances on account of expenditure to be incurred by the board, in carrying out works for the rebuilding or repair of any bridge maintained by the board, other than works appearing to the Minister to be maintenance works of a routine kind.

(3) Where a drainage authority are about to incur expenditure in respect of which it appears to the Minister that a grant will be payable under section 38(2) of the [1961 c. 48.] Land Drainage Act 1961 (which provides for grants in respect of certain expenditure incurred with a view to the carrying out of drainage works), the Minister may, with the approval of the Treasury, make advances to the authority on account of the expenditure.

(4) The Minister may, with the approval of the Treasury, make to a river authority grants in respect of the cost of any works executed by the authority in pursuance of section 35 of the said Act of 1961 (under which a drainage board may execute by agreement with and at the expense of any other person any drainage works which that person is entitled to execute); and the reference to expense in that section shall be construed as excluding the amount of any grant paid under this subsection in respect of the works in question.

(5) Nothing in the foregoing provisions of this section shall be construed as prejudicing any power of the Minister to make grants or advances under any other enactment.

(6) Expressions used in this section and the said Act of 1930 have the same meanings in this section as in that Act.