Ministry of Transport Act 1919

26Seal, style and acts of Minister

(1)The Minister may sue and be sued in respect of matters, whether relating to contract tort or otherwise arising in connexion with his office, by the name of the Minister of Transport, and may for all purposes be described by that name and shall be responsible for the acts and defaults of the officers and servants and agents of the Ministry in like manner and to the like extent as if they were his servants, and costs may be awarded to or against the Minister.

(2)The Minister shall have an official seal, which shall be officially and judicially noticed, and shall be authenticated by the signature of the Minister, or of a secretary, or any person authorised by the Minister to act in that behalf.

(3)For the purpose of acquiring and holding land, the Minister for the time being shall be a corporation sole by name of the Minister of Transport, and all land vested in the Minister shall be held in trust for His Majesty for the purposes of the Ministry of Transport.

(4)Upon and by virtue of the appointment of any person to be Minister, the benefit of all deeds, contracts, bonds, securities or things in action vested in his predecessor at the time of his predecessor ceasing to hold office, shall be transferred to and vested in and enure for the benefit of the person so appointed, in the same manner as if he had been contracted with instead of his predecessor, and if his name had been inserted in all such deeds, contracts, bonds or securities instead of the name of his predecessor.

(5)Subsections (2) to (4) of section eleven, and subsections (2) and (3) of section twelve of the [6 & 7 Geo. 5. c. 68.] New Ministries and Secretaries Act, 1916, shall apply to the Minister and the Ministry of Transport and to the office of Minister of Transport in like manner as they apply to the Ministers and Ministries mentioned in those sections.