Fuel and Electricity (Control) Act 1973

Legislation Crest

Fuel and Electricity (Control) Act 1973

1973 CHAPTER 67

An Act to make temporary provision for controlling the production, supply, acquisition and use of certain substances and of electricity; and for purposes connected with those matters.

[6th December 1973]

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1Act repealed (E.W.) (S.) with saving for orders made under the Act by Energy Act 1976 (c. 76), Sch. 4 Pts. I, III

C2Act, except s. 4 and so much of that Act as is required for its interpretation, repealed (N.I.), with savings, by Energy Act 1976 (c. 76), Sch. 4 Pts. I, II para 1, III; amended by ibid., Sch. 4, Pt. II para. 1

1 Application of Act.U.K.

(1)This Act applies to the following substances—

(a)petroleum and any substance derived from petroleum; and

(b)any substance, whether solid, liquid or gaseous, not falling within paragraph (a) above but used as fuel, whether for the propulsion of vehicles or for industrial, domestic or any other purposes.

(2)The following provisions of this Act apply in relation to electricity as they apply in relation to the substances mentioned in subsection (1) above.

2, 3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1U.K.

Textual Amendments

4 Power to relax statutory and contractual obligations, etc.U.K.

(1)Any person supplying or using a substance to which this Act applies may, if authorised to do so by the Secretary of State by any general or special authority granted for the purpose, and while acting in accordance with that authority, disregard or fall short in discharging any obligation imposed by or under any enactment, or any contractual obligation, relating to or involving the supply or use of that substance.

(2)At any time while [F2an order in Council under section 3(1) of the M1Energy Act 1976] is in force the Secretary of State may grant, or enable any person to grant on his behalf, a general or special authority for the doing, during the whole or any part of the period for which the order is in force, of all or any of the things mentioned in the following paragraphs; and a person acting under and in accordance with such an authority may then—

(a)use, or cause or permit the use of, any vehicle on a road as a [F3public service vehicle] without any licence, permit, agreement or consent otherwise required, and notwithstanding that the vehicle does not comply with regulations made under [F4Article 66 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981] or with such of the regulations made under [F5Article 28 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981] as would not apply to the vehicle if it were not so used;

(b)drive or act as conductor of a public service vehicle without being licensed to do so under [F6Article 70 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981] or employ a person not so licensed to drive or act as conductor of any such vehicle;

(c)act, or cause or permit a person to act, as the driver of a passenger vehicle without complying with the requirements of [F7Article 56 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981]

(3)Her Majesty may by Order in Council make provision for modifying or excluding any obligation or restriction imposed, or extending any power conferred, by or under any enactment [F8(other than a transferred enactment within the meaning of subsection (3A) below)] which directly or indirectly affects the supply or use of a substance to which this Act applies.

[F9(3A)A Ministry of Northern Ireland may by order make provision for modifying or excluding any obligation imposed, or extending any power conferred, by or under any transferred enactment which directly or indirectly affects the supply or use of a substance to which this Act applies.

In this subsection “transferred enactment” means an enactment which, if it is, or had been, in force before the expiration of section 1 of the Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972 (f) may be, or might have been, amended by an Order in Council under subsection (3) of that section.

(3B)Any order made under subsection (3A) above may be varied or revoked by a subsequent order and shall be subject to negative resolution within the meaning of section 41(6) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 (g) as if it were a statutory instrument within the meaning of that Act.]

(4)Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (3) above, an Order in Council under that subsection may make such provision for modifying an order under section 2 of the M2Counter-Inflation Act 1973 as appears to Her Majesty to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of [F10price controls under the M3Energy Act 1976].

(5)In the application of this Act to Northern Ireland the preceding provisions of this section shall apply with such modifications and adaptations as Her Majesty may by Order in Council specify.

(6)Any Order in Council made under this section may be varied or revoked by a subsequent Order in Council and any statutory instrument by which such an Order is made shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

Textual Amendments

F3Words substituted by S.I. 1973/2090, art. 2(b)

F5Words substituted by S.I. 1981/154 (N.I. 1), art. 220, Sch. 7 para. 16(a)(ii)

F7Words substituted by virtue of S.I. 1981/154 (N.I. 1), art. 220, Sch. 7 para. 16(c)

F8Words inserted by S.I. 1973/2090, art. 2(c)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

Marginal Citations

5–7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F11U.K.

Textual Amendments

8 Interpretation.U.K.

In this Act “enactment” includes an enactment of the Parliament of Northern Ireland and “petroleum” has the same meaning as in the M4Petroleum (Production) Act 1934.

Marginal Citations

9, 10.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F12U.K.

Textual Amendments

11Short title and extent.U.K.

F13(1)This Act may be cited as the Fuel and Electricity (Control) Act 1973.

(2)This Act extends to Northern Ireland.

Textual Amendments