1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Local Authorities (Contracting Out of Allocation of Housing and Homelessness Functions) Order 1996.
(2) This article and article 3 of this Order shall come into force on 20th January 1997 and article 2 of this Order shall come into force on 1st April 1997.
(3) In this Order—
“the Act” means the Housing Act 1996(1);
“an authority” means a local housing authority as defined in the Housing Act 1985(2).
(4) Any expressions used in this Order which are also used in the Act have the same meaning as they have in the Act.