Government of Wales Act 2006

Functions: supplementary

83Agency arrangements and provision of services

(1)Arrangements may be made between the Welsh Ministers and any relevant authority for—

(a)any functions of one of them to be exercised by the other,

(b)any functions of the Welsh Ministers to be exercised by members of staff of the relevant authority,

(c)any functions of the relevant authority to be exercised by members of the staff of the Welsh Assembly Government, or

(d)the provision of administrative, professional or technical services by one of them for the other.

(2)Any arrangements under paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of subsection (1) for the exercise of functions of the Welsh Ministers do not affect the responsibility of the Welsh Ministers; and such arrangements for the exercise of any functions of a relevant authority do not affect the responsibility of the relevant authority.

(3)The references in subsections (1) and (2) to functions do not include functions of making, confirming or approving subordinate legislation contained in a statutory instrument.

(4)In this section “relevant authority” means any Minister of the Crown or government department, any public authority (including any local authority) in England and Wales or the holder of any public office in England and Wales.

(5)This section applies to the First Minister and the Counsel General as to the Welsh Ministers.

84Different exercise of functions by Welsh Ministers etc.

(1)This section applies where—

(a)an enactment confers or imposes a function exercisable in relation to England and Wales, and

(b)the function is to any extent conferred or imposed on the Welsh Ministers by the enactment or transferred to, or made exercisable by, the Welsh Ministers by or by virtue of this Act.

(2)The enactment is to be taken to permit—

(a)the exercise of the function by the Welsh Ministers whether or not it is exercised otherwise than by the Welsh Ministers, and

(b)the exercise of the function differently by the Welsh Ministers (on the one hand) and otherwise than by the Welsh Ministers (on the other).

(3)The reference in subsection (1)(a) to a function exercisable in relation to England and Wales includes a function exercisable in relation both to England and Wales and to another country or territory or other countries or territories.

(4)Subsection (2) is subject to—

(a)the enactment by which the function is conferred or imposed on the Welsh Ministers, or

(b)any provision by or by virtue of which the function is transferred to, or made exercisable by, the Welsh Ministers.

(5)Subsection (2) does not limit any power to exercise a function in relation to Wales whether or not it is exercised in relation to England, or to exercise a function differently in relation to Wales and England, where this section does not apply.

(6)In this section “enactment” includes a future enactment.

(7)This section applies in relation to the First Minister and the Counsel General as to the Welsh Ministers.

85Construction of references to Ministers and departments

(1)So far as may be necessary for the purpose or in consequence of the exercise of any functions of the Welsh Ministers, the First Minister or the Counsel General, any reference in any enactment or other document to—

(a)a Minister of the Crown, or

(b)a government department,

(whether by name or in general terms) is to be construed as being or including a reference to the Welsh Ministers, the First Minister or the Counsel General (according to by whom the function in question is exercisable).

(2)References in any enactment to property vested in or held for the purposes of a government department is to be construed as including references to property vested in or held for the purposes of the Welsh Ministers, the First Minister or the Counsel General (and in relation to property so vested or held the Welsh Ministers, the First Minister or the Counsel General are each deemed to be a government department for the purposes of any enactment).

(3)In this section “enactment” includes a future enactment.

86Laying of reports and statements

(1)This section applies where—

(a)any enactment makes provision (“provision for Parliamentary laying”) for any report or statement to be laid before Parliament or either House of Parliament,

(b)the report or statement is not one which, by or by virtue of this Act, is to be made by or given to the Welsh Ministers, the First Minister, the Counsel General or the Assembly Commission, and

(c)the report or statement relates to matters with respect to which functions are exercisable by the Welsh Ministers, the First Minister, the Counsel General or the Assembly Commission.

(2)If no functions relating to the matters are exercisable by a Minister of the Crown, the provision for Parliamentary laying is to be construed as provision for the report or statement to be laid before the Assembly instead of before Parliament or either House of Parliament.

(3)If any are, the provision for Parliamentary laying is to be construed as provision for the report or statement to be laid before the Assembly as well as before Parliament or either House of Parliament.

(4)In this section—

(a)references to a report or statement include any other document (except one containing subordinate legislation), and

(b)“enactment” includes a future enactment.