Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Scotland Act 1998 (Modifications of Schedule 5) Order 2004 and shall come into force on the day after the day on which it is made.

(2) In this Order, “the Act” means the Scotland Act 1998.

Elections

2.  In Part 2 of Schedule 5 to the Act (reserved matters: specific reservations), at the end of Section B3(2) add–

“Interpretation

Paragraph 5(1) of Part 3 of this Schedule does not apply to the subject-matter of the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002(3); and the reference to the subject-matter of that Act is to be construed as a reference to it as at the date that Act received Royal Assent.”.

Research Councils

3.  In Part 2 of Schedule 5 to the Act, at the end of Section C12 add–

“The Arts and Humanities Research Council within the meaning of Part 1 of the Higher Education Act 2004(4).

The subject-matter of section 10 of that Act (research in arts and humanities) so far as relating to that Council.

Interpretation

Paragraph 5(1) of Part 3 of this Schedule does not apply to the subject-matter of section 10 of the Higher Education Act 2004; and the reference to the subject-matter of that section is to be construed as a reference to it as at the date that Act received Royal Assent.”.

Rail transport

4.  In Part 2 of Schedule 5 to the Act, in Section E2(5)–

(a)in the third exception, for the words from “Scottish” to “relating to transport” substitute “relevant authorities”; and

(b)after the definition of “railway services” add–

““relevant authority” means–

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order modifies Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998 (c. 46). That Schedule defines what are reserved matters for the purposes of that Act. Accordingly it is concerned with matters which are outwith the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament.

Article 2 provides for the interpretation of Section B3 (elections).

Article 3 modifies Section C12 (Research Councils) by defining as reserved matters for the purposes of the Scotland Act 1998 the Arts and Humanities Research Council (provision for the establishment of which is made by Part 1 of the Higher Education Act 2004) and in so far as relating to that Council the subject-matter of section 10 of that Act of 2004 (provision for research in arts and humanities). It also provides for the interpretation of Section C12 as so modified.

Article 4 modifies the third exception to the reservation at Section E2 (rail transport) so as to include the Scottish Ministers among the authorities to which the Scottish Parliament may by legislation transfer and allocate certain rail transport functions.