PART VIIGeneral

104Commencement

(1)

This Act shall come into operation on a day appointed by an order made by statutory instrument by the Secretary of State, and different days may be appointed under this section for different purposes and, in particular, different days may be so appointed for the coming into operation of the same provision in different areas.

(2)

No order under this section relating to Part III of this Act shall be made unless a draft of the order has been approved by both Houses of Parliament.

(3)

Any reference in this Act to the commencement of any provision thereof shall be construed as a reference to the day appointed for the coming into operation of that provision or, in the case of a provision which comes into operation on different days in different areas, shall, in relation to any area, be construed as a reference to the day appointed for the coming into operation of that provision in that area.

(4)

An order under this section may make such transitional provision as appears to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient in connection with the provisions thereby brought into force, including such adaptation of those provisions or any provision of this Act then in force as appear to him to be necessary or expedient in consequence of the partial operation of this Act (whether before or after the day appointed by the order).

(5)

The Secretary of State shall maintain and keep up to date a register showing the effect of orders made under this section in such a way as enables members of the public to inform themselves—

(a)

as to the provisions of this Act which have come, or are to be brought, into operation, and on which dates and in relation to which areas ; and

(b)

as to whether, in the case of a particular area, any transitional provision has been made by such an order.

(6)

The register maintained by the Secretary of State under this section shall be kept at his principal offices in Edinburgh; and the register shall be available for inspection by the public at all reasonable hours.