{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/deregulation-fair-trading-act-1973-amendment-merger-reference-time-limits-order-1996/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/deregulation-fair-trading-act-1973-amendment-merger-reference-time-limits-order-1996/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1996/345",
  "legislation_title": "The Deregulation (Fair Trading Act 1973) (Amendment) (Merger Reference Time Limits) Order 1996",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/deregulation-fair-trading-act-1973-amendment-merger-reference-time-limits-order-1996",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "DEREGULATION\nMade 19th February 1996\nComing into force 19th March 1996\nWhereas:\n(a) the Secretary of State is of the opinion that certain provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1973 impose burdens affecting persons in the carrying on of a trade, business, profession or otherwise and that by amending or repealing the provisions concerned it is possible to remove or reduce the burdens without removing any necessary protection;\n(b) he has consulted such organisations as appear to him to be representative of interests substantially affected by his proposals and such other persons as he considers appropriate;\n(c) it appears to the Secretary of State that it is appropriate, following that consultation, to proceed with the making of this Order;\n(d) a document setting out the Secretary of State’s proposals has been laid before Parliament in accordance with section 3 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 and the period for Parliamentary consideration under section 4 of that Act has expired;\n(e) the Secretary of State has had regard to the representations made during that period;\n(f) a draft of this Order has been laid before Parliament with a statement giving details of such representations and the changes (if any) to the Secretary of State’s proposals in the light of those representations; and\n(g) a draft of this Order has been approved by resolution of each House of Parliament:\nNow, therefore, the Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 1 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, hereby makes the following Order:",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "1973 c. 41."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "1994 c. 40."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/345/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T12:52:19.136222+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}