Functions relating to the compulsory acquisition of land for highway purposes

5.—(1) In subsection (1) of section 54 of the Highways Act 1971 after the words “Secretary of State”, in the second place where they occur, there shall be inserted the words “or, in the case of a compulsory purchase order proposed to be made by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of State and the planning Minister acting jointly” and for the words “his opinion” there shall be substituted the words “his or their opinion”.

(2) In subsection (2) of the said section 54 for the words “the Secretary of State”, in the second place where they occur, there shall be substituted the words “or by the Secretary of State and the planning Minister acting jointly, the Secretary of State or, as the case may be, those Ministers”.

(3) In subsection (3) of the said section 54 for the word “has”, in the first place where it occurs, there shall be substituted the words “or the Secretary of State and the planning Minister acting jointly have” and after the words “Secretary of State”, in the second place where they occur, there shall be inserted the words “or, as the case may be, those Ministers”.

(4) At the end of the said section 54 there shall be inserted the following subsection—

“(4) In this section `the planning Minister' has the same meaning as in paragraph 7B of Schedule 1 to the Act of 1946 and references to the Secretary of State and the planning Minister acting jointly shall be construed as if they were references to the Minister and the planning Minister acting jointly and were contained in that paragraph.”