1 Government contributions towards expenses of local authorities for rural water supplies and sewerage. E+W+S

(1)Subject to such conditions as the Treasury may determine, [F1the Secretary of State] (in this Act referred to as “the Minister”) may, in any case in which it appears to him to be desirable so to do, undertake to make a contribution towards the expenses incurred by a local authority at any time after the passing of this Act—

(a)in providing a supply, or improving an existing supply, of water in a rural locality; . . . F2

(2), (3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F3

(4)The Minister may withhold, or reduce the amount of, a contribution which he has undertaken to make towards the expenses incurred by a local authority in respect of any works or transaction, if it appears to him either—

(a)that any of the works have been executed in an unsatisfactory manner; or

(b)that the effectiveness of any of the works is substantially less than as estimated in the proposals submitted to him by the local authority, and that the difference is due to any default, for which the local authority is responsible, in the formulation of the proposals; or

(c)that there has been any default in the carrying out of the transaction.

[F4(5)Any contributions made under this section shall be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament.]

(6). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F5

(7). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F6

2 F7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W+S

3 F8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W+S

4 F9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W+S

5 F10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W+S

6 Sewerage, sewage disposal and water supply expenses to be general expenses.E+W+S

F11 all expenses incurred (whether before or after the passing of this Act) by a [F12district council] in connection with sewers or sewage disposal works or a supply of water shall, in so far as they fall to be defrayed out of rates made in respect of periods beginning after the end of March, nineteen hundred and forty-five, be general expenses.

7 Application to Scotland. E+W+S

This Act shall apply to Scotland subject to the following modifications:—

(1)for any reference to [F13the Secretary of State] there shall be substituted a reference to the Secretary of State;

(2)in the application of section one—

for subsections (5) and (6) the following subsections shall be respectively substituted:

“[(5)Any contributions made under this section shall be defrayed out of money provided by Parliament,]

(6)Local authorities for the purposes of this section shall be—

(a)the council of any [F14region or islands area];

(b)a combination of any such councils whether constituted under the Public Health (Scotland) Act 1897, or otherwise for the purposes . . . F15 of works in regard to sewerage;

(c)any board or any trustees or other body constituted under a local Act for the purposes . . . F15 of sewerage;”

(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F16

(4)sections two, four, five and six shall not apply.

8 Short title, extent and repeals.E+W+S

(1)This Act may be cited as the Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Act 1944.

(2)This Act shall not extend to Northern Ireland.

(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F17

The repeal of provisions of the Public Health Act 1936, shall not affect any expenses in so far as they are defrayed out of rates made in respect of periods ending before the first day of April, nineteen hundred and forty-five.

F18F18SCHEDULEE+W+S

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