Radioactive Substances Act 1993

47 General interpretation provisions

(1) In this Act, except in so far as the context otherwise requires—

• “the appropriate Minister” means—

  (a)

  in relation to England, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food,

  (b)

  in relation to Wales, the Secretary of State, and

  (c)

  in relation to Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland,

• “article” includes a part of an article,

• “the chief inspector” means—

  (a)

  in relation to England and Wales, the chief inspector for England and Wales appointed under section 4(2)(a),

  (b)

  in relation to Scotland, the chief inspector for Scotland appointed under section 4(2)(b), and

  (c)

  in relation to Northern Ireland, the chief inspector for Northern Ireland appointed under section 4(7),

• “disposal”, in relation to waste, includes its removal, deposit, destruction, discharge (whether into water or into the air or into a sewer or drain or otherwise) or burial (whether underground or otherwise) and “dispose of” shall be construed accordingly,

• “local authority” (except where the reference is to a public or local authority) means—

  (a)

  in England and Wales, the council of a county, district or London borough or the Common Council of the City of London or an authority established by the [S. I. 1985/1884.] Waste Regulation and Disposal (Authorities) Order 1985,

  (b)

  in Scotland, a regional, islands or district council, and

  (c)

  in Northern Ireland, a district council,

• “nuclear site” means—

  (a)

  any site in respect of which a nuclear site licence is for the time being in force, or

  (b)

  any site in respect of which, after the revocation or surrender of a nuclear site licence, the period of responsibility of the licensee has not yet come to an end,

• “nuclear site licence”, “licensee” and “period of responsibility” have the same meaning as in the [1965 c. 57.] Nuclear Installations Act 1965,

• “premises” includes any land, whether covered by buildings or not, including any place underground and any land covered by water,

• “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations under this Act or, in relation to fees or charges payable in accordance with a scheme under section 43, prescribed under that scheme,

• “the prescribed period for determinations”, in relation to any application under this Act, means, subject to subsection (2), the period of four months beginning with the day on which the application was received,

• “public or local authority”, in relation to England and Wales, includes a water undertaker or a sewerage undertaker,

• “relevant water body” means—

  (a)

  in England and Wales, the National Rivers Authority, a water undertaker, a sewerage undertaker or a local fisheries committee,

  (b)

  in Scotland, a river purification authority within the meaning of the [1951 c. 66.] Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) (Scotland) Act 1951, a district salmon fishery board established under section 14 of the [1986 c. 62.] Salmon Act 1986 or a water authority within the meaning of the [1980 c. 45.] Water (Scotland) Act 1980, and

  (c)

  in Northern Ireland, the Fisheries Conservation Board for Northern Ireland,

• “substance” means any natural or artificial substance, whether in solid or liquid form or in the form of a gas or vapour,

• “undertaking” includes any trade, business or profession and—

  (a)

  in relation to a public or local authority, includes any of the powers or duties of that authority, and

  (b)

  in relation to any other body of persons, whether corporate or unincorporate, includes any of the activities of that body, and

• “waste” includes any substance which constitutes scrap material or an effluent or other unwanted surplus substance arising from the application of any process, and also includes any substance or article which requires to be disposed of as being broken, worn out, contaminated or otherwise spoilt.

(2) The Secretary of State may by order substitute for the period for the time being specified in subsection (1) as the prescribed period for determinations such other period as he considers appropriate.

(3) In determining, for the purposes of this Act, whether any radioactive material is kept or used on any premises, no account shall be taken of any radioactive material kept or used in or on any railway vehicle, road vehicle, vessel or aircraft if either—

(a) the vehicle, vessel or aircraft is on those premises in the course of a journey, or

(b) in the case of a vessel which is on those premises otherwise than in the course of a journey, the material is used in propelling the vessel or is kept in or on the vessel for use in propelling it.

(4) Any substance or article which, in the course of the carrying on of any undertaking, is discharged, discarded or otherwise dealt with as if it were waste shall, for the purposes of this Act, be presumed to be waste unless the contrary is proved.

(5) Any reference in this Act to the contamination of a substance or article is a reference to its being so affected by either or both of the following, that is to say,—

(a) absorption, admixture or adhesion of radioactive material or radioactive waste, and

(b) the emission of neutrons or ionising radiations,

as to become radioactive or to possess increased radioactivity.

(6) In the application of this section to Northern Ireland, the reference in subsection (2) to the Secretary of State shall have effect as a reference to the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland.