{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/energy-act-2004/section-196",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/energy-act-2004/section-196.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2004/20",
  "legislation_title": "Energy Act 2004",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/energy-act-2004",
  "path": "section/196",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "196",
  "heading": "General interpretation",
  "text": "(1) In this Act—\n“the 1965 Act” means the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (c. 57);\n“the 1989 Act” means the Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29);\n“the 1993 Act” means the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (c. 12);\n“affirmative resolution procedure” is to be construed in accordance with section 192(3);\n“BNFL” means the Nuclear Fuels Company (within the meaning of the Atomic Energy Authority Act 1971 (c. 11));\n“contravention” includes a failure to comply, and cognate expressions are to be construed accordingly;\n“documents” includes accounts, drawings, written representations and records of any description;\n“electronic communications network” has the same meaning as in the Communications Act 2003 (c. 21);\n“enactment” (except in Chapter 5 of Part 2) includes Acts of the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland legislation;\n“financial year” means a period of twelve months ending with 31st March;\n“GEMA” means the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority;\n“modification” includes omission, addition or alteration, and cognate expressions are to be construed accordingly;\n“the NDA” means the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority established by section 1;\n“negative resolution procedure” is to be construed in accordance with section 192(2);\n“nuclear site licence” has the same meaning as in the 1965 Act;\n“nuclear transfer scheme” means a scheme under section 38;\n“pensions, allowances or gratuities” is to be construed in accordance with subsection (2);\n“securities”, in relation to a body corporate, includes shares, debentures, debenture stock, bonds and other securities of the body corporate, whether or not constituting a charge on the assets of the body corporate;\n“shares” includes stock;\n“subordinate legislation” has the same meaning as in the Interpretation Act 1978 (c. 30);\n“subsidiary” and “wholly-owned subsidiary” have the meanings given by section 1159 of the Companies Act 2006;\n“the UKAEA” means the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.\n(2) In this Act—\n(a) references to pensions, allowances or gratuities include references to any similar benefits provided on death or retirement; and\n(b) references to the payment of pensions, allowances or gratuities to or in respect of a person include references to the making of payments towards the provision of the payment of pensions, allowances or gratuities to or in respect of that person.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 196(1) repealed (E.W.) (6.4.2010) by The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/675), reg. 1(1)(b), Sch. 26 para. 17(4), Sch. 28 (with reg. 1(2), Sch. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 196(1) inserted (26.1.2009) by Climate Change Act 2008 (c. 27), s. 100(5), Sch. 7 para. 7(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 196(1) substituted (1.10.2009) by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1941), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 220(7) (with art. 10)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 196 applied (with modifications) (18.12.2011) by Energy Act 2011 (c. 16), ss. 96(5)(6), 121(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 196 applied (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (23.7.2018) by Smart Meters Act 2018 (c. 14), ss. 4(5)(6), 14(5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 196 applied (31.3.2022 for specified purposes, 1.6.2022 in so far as not already in force) by Nuclear Energy (Financing) Act 2022 (c. 15), ss. 33(6), 44(1)(c)(2)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "Ss. 171-196: power to apply (with modifications) conferred (26.10.2023) by Energy Act 2023 (c. 52), s. 334(2)(l), Sch. 18 para. 50"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C5",
      "text": "S. 196 applied (with modifications) (26.12.2023) by Energy Act 2023 (c. 52), ss. 44(5)(6), 334(3)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 196 in force at 24.8.2004 for specified purposes by S.I. 2004/2184, art. 2(1), Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 196 in force at 5.10.2004 in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2004/2575, art. 2(1), Sch. 1"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/20/section/196",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:17:05.990250+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "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."
  }
}