Section 4 Grants for preservation of historical buildings, their contents and adjoining land Grants and loans for preservation of historic buildings etc.F1F9

The Minister may, out of moneys provided by Parliament, make grants for the purpose of defraying in whole or in part any expenditure incurred or to be incurred in the repair or maintenance of a building F2which is not situated in England and which appearsto the Minister to be of F3outstanding historic or architectural interest, or in the upkeep of any land comprising, or contiguous or adjacent to, any such building, or in the repair or maintenance of any objects ordinarily kept in any such building F4or in the upkeep of a garden or other land which F5is not situated in England and whichappears to the Secretary of State to be of outstanding historic interest but which is not contiguous or adjacent to a building which appears to him to be of outstanding historic or architectural interest

The power conferred by subsection (1) to make grants for the purposes mentioned includes power to make loans for those purposes.

Where a grant under this section is made to the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty or the National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, the grant may, if the Minister thinks fit, be made by way of endowment, subject to such provisions, by way of trust, contract or otherwise, as may appear to the Minister to be requisite for securing that, so long as it is reasonably practicable to give effect to the purposes of the endowment, the sum granted will be retained and invested by the Trust and used as a source of income for defraying the expenditure in respect of which the grant is made.

A grantF7or loan under this section may be made subject to conditions imposed by the Minister for the purpose of securing public access to the whole or part of the property to which the grantor loan relates, or for other purposes, as the Minister may think fit.

Before making any grant under this section the Minister shall consult with the appropriate Council under this Act, both as to the making of the grant and as to the conditions subject to which it should be made:

A grant or loan made under this section is to be made on such terms and conditions (including as to repayment and, in the case of a loan, payment of interest) as the Scottish Ministers may determine.