Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973

224 Property commission for Scotland

(1) The Secretary of State, after consulting with such bodies representative of existing local authorities as appear to him to be concerned, shall, not later than one month after the passing of this Act, establish a property commission for Scotland for the purpose of—

(a) assisting existing relevant authorities to identify property to be transferred to new relevant authorities ;

(b) advising the Secretary of State on the general principles on which such property should be transferred;

(c) playing such further part in the process of transfer of such property as may be specified in an order made under section 222 of this Act.

(2) The Secretary of State shall be deemed to have consulted the bodies mentioned in subsection (1) above for the purposes of that subsection if he has consulted those bodies before the passing of this Act.

(3) The Secretary of State may give directions to the property commission as to their procedure and to any existing or new relevant authority with respect to the furnishing of any information requested and the implementation of any advice given by the commission.

(4) Any expenses incurred by the property commission under this section shall be paid by the Secretary of State.

(5) Schedule 1 to the [1957 c. 20.] House of Commons Disqualification Act 1957 (offices disqualifying from membership) shall have effect, in its application to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as if in Part II, in the appropriate place in alphabetical order, there were inserted the entry—

• “The property commission for Scotland established under section 224 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.”

(6) In this section and in section 222 of this Act—

(a) " property " means any property, heritable or moveable, other than a security or balance in a fund, and all interests, rights and liabilities in or relating to property ;

(b) " relevant authority " means a local authority within the meaning of the 1947 Act or this Act, as the context may require, a joint committee, river purification board or water board or an association of local authorities the constituent members of which include any such local authority as aforesaid.

(7) In the foregoing provisions of this Part of this Act " water board " means a regional water board or a water development board, or both, as the context may require.