4(1)The Secretary of State may—
(a)authorise a local authority to exercise any of the Secretary of State’s functions under paragraph 1 or 2 in relation to one or more of the following—
(i)a registered childcare provider in the local authority’s area;
(ii)a school in its area;
(iii)a 16 to 19 Academy, within the meaning of section 1B of the Academies Act 2010, in its area;
(b)authorise the Office for Students to exercise any of the Secretary of State’s functions under paragraph 1 in relation to one or more registered higher education providers within the meaning of section 3(10)(a) of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.
(2)The Welsh Ministers may—
(a)authorise a local authority to exercise any of the Welsh Ministers’ functions under paragraph 1 or 2 in relation to one or more of the following—
(i)a registered childcare provider in the local authority’s area;
(ii)a school in its area;
(b)authorise the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to exercise any of the Welsh Ministers’ functions under paragraph 1 in relation to one or more of the following—
(i)an institution within the higher education sector, within the meaning of section 91(5) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992;
(ii)a provider of a course of education within the meaning of Schedule 6 to the Education Reform Act 1988 that is not an institution within the meaning of sub-paragraph (i).
(3)An authorisation granted under this paragraph may be subject to the fulfilment of such terms and conditions as are specified in the authorisation.
(4)In this paragraph—
(a)in relation to England, “local authority” has the same meaning as in section 579(1) of the Education Act 1996, and
(b)in relation to Wales, “local authority” means a county council in Wales or a county borough council.