This section applies for the purposes of this Part.

A receiving authority is any billing authority or major precepting authority.

A specified body is any body which provides services for local authorities and is specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State under this subsection; but a body is not a specified body as regards a financial year unless the regulations specifying it are in force before the year begins.

Before exercising the power to make regulations under subsection (4) above the Secretary of State shall consult such representatives of local government as appear to him to be appropriate.

Any regulations made under section 2(7) of the M1Local Government Act 1974 or section 56(9) of the M2Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 shall have effect for the purposes of subsection (4) above as if they had been made under it.

“The Assembly” means the National Assembly for Wales.