Explanatory note

This Order, which is made under section 254 of the Local Government Act 1972, dissolves all existing agricultural wages committees in England and Wales on 1st April 1974 in order that new committees can be set up in conformity with the altered Local Government boundaries. It also amends the Agricultural Wages Act 1948 so as to enable committees to be set up for combinations of the new counties.

The Order includes transitional provisions for continuing the functions of existing committees by transferring them to new committees and for transferring registers and records; there are also some minor consequential amendments to the Agricultural Wages Act 1948 and to the current order of the Agricultural Wages Board made under section 3 of that Act.

The new committees are established by the Agricultural Wages Committees (Areas) Order 1974, which comes into operation on the same day as this Order. This Order provides for the duration of the terms of office of the first members by amending the Agricultural Wages Committees Regulations 1949.