Water Resources Act 1991

4 Incidental general powers of the Authority

(1) The Authority—

(a) shall have power to do anything which, in the opinion of the Authority, is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the carrying out of the Authority’s functions; and

(b) without prejudice to the generality of that power, shall have power, for the purposes of, or in connection with, the carrying out of those functions, to institute criminal proceedings, to acquire and dispose of land and other property and to carry out such engineering or building operations at such places as the Authority considers appropriate.

(2) Subject to subsection (3) below, the Authority may provide for any person outside the United Kingdom advice or assistance, including training facilities, as respects any matter in which the Authority has skill or experience.

(3) Without prejudice to any power of the Authority apart from subsection (2) above to provide advice or assistance of the kind mentioned in that subsection, the power conferred by that subsection shall not be exercised except—

(a) with the consent in writing of the Secretary of State; and

(b) if the exercise of that power involves capital expenditure by the Authority, or the guaranteeing by the Authority of any liability, with that consent given with the approval of the Treasury;

and a consent under this subsection may be given subject to such conditions as the Secretary of State thinks fit.

(4) Without prejudice to subsection (1) above, the powers conferred by section 1 of the [1970 c. 39.] Local Authorities (Goods and Services) Act 1970 shall be exercisable by the Authority as if the Authority were a public body within the meaning of that section.

(5) Nothing in this section with respect to the carrying out of works shall be construed as conferring any power to do anything otherwise than for the purpose of giving the Authority capacity as a corporation to do that thing; and, accordingly, without prejudice to the provisions of Part VII of this Act, this section shall be disregarded for the purpose of determining whether the Authority is liable, on grounds other than an incapacity by virtue of its constitution, for any act or omission in exercise of a power to carry out works conferred by this section.