Valid from 27/07/1999
[F1 Designation or nominationE+W
Textual Amendments
F1Chapter 4A (ss. 52A-52Z) inserted (27.7.1999 with effect as mentioned in s. 30(2) of the amending Act.) by 1999 c. 27, s. 30(1), Sch. 1 para. 1
52B Power to designate or nominate authorities.E+W
(1)If in the Secretary of State’s opinion the amount calculated by an authority as its budget requirement for a financial year (the year under consideration) is excessive, he may exercise his power to designate or nominate the authority under section 52D below.
(2)The question whether the amount so calculated is excessive must be decided in accordance with a set of principles determined by the Secretary of State.
(3)A set of principles—
(a)may contain one principle or two or more principles;
(b)must constitute or include a comparison falling within subsection (4) below or comparisons each of which falls within subsection (4).
(4)A comparison falls within this subsection if—
(a)it is between the amount calculated by the authority as its budget requirement for the year under consideration and the amount calculated by it as its budget requirement for a financial year falling before the year under consideration;
(b)the earlier financial year in the comparison does not fall before that beginning with 1st April 1998.
(5)If for the purposes of this section the Secretary of State determines categories of authorities for the year under consideration—
(a)any principles determined for the year must be such that the same set is determined for all authorities (if more than one) falling within the same category;
(b)as regards an authority which does not fall within any of the categories, the Secretary of State may not exercise his power to designate or nominate the authority under section 52D below by reference to the excessiveness of its budget requirement for the year.
(6)If he does not determine such categories, any principles determined for the year under consideration must be such that the same set is determined for all authorities.
(7)In determining categories of authorities for the year under consideration the Secretary of State shall take into account any information he thinks is relevant.
(8)In applying this section the Secretary of State shall ignore any calculation for which another has been substituted at the time designation or nomination is proposed.
52C Alternative notional amounts.E+W
(1)The Secretary of State may make a report specifying in relation to—
(a)any year under consideration (within the meaning of section 52B above), and
(b)any authority,
an amount which in his opinion should be used as the basis of any comparison in applying that section in place of the amount calculated by the authority as its budget requirement for a financial year falling before the year under consideration.
(2)References in this section to the alternative notional amount are to the amount so specified.
(3)A report under this section—
(a)may relate to two or more authorities;
(b)may be amended by a subsequent report under this section;
(c)shall contain such explanation as the Secretary of State thinks desirable of the calculation by him of the alternative notional amount;
(d)shall be laid before the House of Commons.
(4)If a report under this section is approved by resolution of the House of Commons section 52B above shall have effect, as regards the year under consideration and any authority to which the report relates, as if the reference in subsection (4) to the amount calculated by the authority as its budget requirement for a financial year falling before the year under consideration were to the alternative notional amount for the year so falling.
52D Designation or nomination.E+W
(1)This section applies if in the Secretary of State’s opinion (reached after applying section 52B above) the amount calculated by an authority as its budget requirement for the year under consideration is excessive.
(2)In such a case he may—
(a)designate the authority as regards the year under consideration, or
(b)nominate the authority.
(3)The Secretary of State may proceed under different paragraphs of subsection (2) above in relation to different authorities.]