PART IVMiscellaneous
38Interpretation
1
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the following meanings respectively, that is to say—
" the appropriate Minister or Ministers " and " the Ministers " have the meanings assigned to them by section 1 above;
" the Council " means the National Water Council;
" county ", " district ", " county council ", and " district council ", mean respectively a county, district, county council and district council established by the 1972 Act;
" development corporation " means a development corporation established under the [1965 c. 59.] New Towns Act 1965 or any Act replaced by that Act;
" existing local authority " means a local authority within the meaning of the [1933 c. 51.] Local Government Act 1933;
" joint water board " and " joint water committee " mean respectively a joint board and a joint committee which has been constituted under section 9 of the [1945 c. 42.] Water Act 1945 and on which a statutory water company is represented;
" land drainage " includes defence against water (including sea waiter), irrigation other than spray irrigation, warping and the provision of flood warning systems, and "land drainage functions" shall be construed accordingly;
" local authority " means a county council, the Greater London Council, a district council, a London borough council or the Common Council of the City of London;
" local land drainage committee " and " regional land drainage committee " mean respectively the committees established by those names under Schedule 8 to this Act;
" local land drainage district " means a local land drainage district established under that Schedule and any part of a water authority area which is to be treated as a local land drainage district for the purposes of Parts II and III of that Schedule;
" local statutory provision " means a provision of a local Act (including an Act confirming a provisional order) or a provision of a public general Act passed with respect to some area or a provision of an instrument made under any such local or public general Act or of an instrument in the nature of a local enactment made under any other Act;
" London excluded area " means so much of Greater London, and of any area adjoining Greater London, as—
- a
in relation to a time before 1st April 1974, does not at that time lie within the Thames catchment area, the Lee catchment area or the area of any river authority;
- b
in relation to a time after 31st March 1974, does not at that time lie, for the purpose of the exercise of land drainage functions, within the area of any water authority;
- a
" the 1972 Act " means the [1972 c. 70.] Local Government Act 1972;
" public authority " includes a statutory water company;
" public sewer " has the same meaning as in the [1936 c. 49.] Public Health Act 1936 and "private sewer" shall be construed accordingly;
" regional water board " and " water development board " have the same meanings respectively as in the [1967 c. 78.] Water (Scotland) Act 1967;
" river authority " underground strata ", " inland water ", " watercourse " and " water resources " have the same meanings respectively as in the [1963 c. 38.] Water Resources Act 1963;
" statutory water company " means a company authorised immediately before the passing of this Act by any local statutory provision to supply water or a company in whom the assets of any company so authorised have subsequently become vested;
" statutory water undertakers " has the meaning assigned to it by section 11(6) above ;
" supply of water in bulk " and " water fittings " have the same meanings as in the [1945 c. 42.] Water Act 1945;
2
Section 269 of the 1972 Act (which relates to the meaning of " England" and " Wales " in Acts passed after 1st April 1974) shall apply to this Act as if this Act had been passed after that date.
3
Except in so far as the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Act to an enactment shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended, applied or extended by or under any other enactment, including this Act.