Section 79 Interpretation of Part II.

In this Part—

• “employee”, in relation to a body corporate, includes any director or other officer of that body;

• “enactment” does not include an enactment contained in Northern Ireland legislation but, subject to that, includes an enactment contained in an Act (whenever passed) and an enactment contained in subordinate legislation (whenever made);

• “function”, in relation to a local authority, includes any power to do any thing which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the exercise of a function;

• “joint board”—

  1. (a)

     in relation to England and Wales, means a joint or special planning board constituted for a National Park by order under paragraph 1, 3 or 3A of Schedule 17 to M1 the Local Government Act 1972, or a joint planning board within the meaning of section 2 of M2 the Town and Country Planning Act 1990;

  2. (b)

     in relation to Scotland, has the same meaning as in the Local M3Government (Scotland) Act 1973;

• “joint committee”—

  1. (a)

     in relation to England and Wales, means a joint committee appointed under section 102(1)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972;

  2. (b)

     in relation to Scotland, has the same meaning as in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973;

• “local authority”—

  1. (a)

     in relation to England, F1has the meaning given by section 79A;

  2. (b)

     in relation to Wales, F2has the meaning given by section 79B;

  3. (c)

     in relation to Scotland, has the same meaning as in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973;

• “Minister” has the same meaning as Minister of the Crown has in the Ministers M4of the Crown Act 1975;

• “Northern Ireland legislation” means—

  1. (a)

     Northern Ireland legislation within the meaning of section 24 of M5the Interpretation Act 1978; and

  2. (b)

     instruments, within the meaning of M6 the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954, made under such legislation;

• “office-holder” does not include a Minister, an officer of either House of Parliament, F3the Auditor General for Wales, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, F4the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales F5... F6, the Health Service Commissioner for England F7... or the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman but, subject to that, means—

  1. (a)

     the holder of an office created or continued in existence by a public general Act of Parliament;

  2. (b)

     the holder of an office the remuneration in respect of which is paid out of money provided by Parliament;

  3. (c)

     F8the registrar of companies for England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland; and

  4. (d)

     the registrar of approved driving instructors;

• “officer”—

  1. (a)

     in relation to a Minister, means any person in the civil service of the Crown who is serving in his department;

  2. (b)

     in relation to an office-holder, means any member of his staff, or any person in the civil service of the Crown who has been assigned or appointed to assist him in the exercise of his functions;

• “the registrar of approved driving instructors” means the officer of the Secretary of State by whom the register of approved driving instructors established in pursuance of section 23 of M7 the Road Traffic Act 1962 is compiled and maintained;

• “subordinate legislation” has the same meaning as in the Interpretation M8Act 1978.

In relation to any time before 1st April 1996, subsection (1) above shall have effect as if, in paragraph (b) of the definition of “local authority”, for the words “county borough” there were substituted the word “ district ”.

Subject to subsection (4) below, this Part shall have effect as if—

Nothing in subsection (3) above shall be construed as enabling those Commissioners F10or that Commission F11... to make an order under section 69 or 70 above ....

Subject to subsection (6) below, any function of an examiner or other officer of the Patent Office which is conferred by or under any enactment shall be treated for all purposes of this Part as if it were a function of the Comptroller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks.

In any case where by virtue of an order made under section 69 above a person is authorised by that Comptroller to exercise any such function as is mentioned in subsection (5) above, section 72(2) above shall have effect as if for paragraphs (a) and (b) there were substituted the words “ by or in relation to an examiner or other officer of the Patent Office in his capacity as such ”.