Section 52F Challenge of maximum amount.F1

England and Wales

(1)

This section applies if an authority designated under section 52D(2)(a) above informs the F2Welsh Ministers by notice in writing under section 52E(5)(a) above.

(2)

After considering any information falling within subsection (3) below the F3Welsh Ministers shall either—

(a)

proceed under subsection (4) below (in which case subsections (5) to (10) below shall also apply), or

(b)

proceed under subsection (11) below.

(3)

Information falling within this subsection is—

(a)

information which is supplied by the authority and is of a kind and provided in a form specified by the F4Welsh Ministers for the purposes of this section;

(b)

any other information F5they think is relevant.

(4)

If F6they proceed under this subsection the F7Welsh Ministers —

(a)

shall make an order stating the amount which the amount calculated by the authority as its budget requirement for the year is not to exceed;

(b)

may alter the target amount for the year.

(5)

The following paragraphs apply for the purposes of subsection (4) above—

(a)

the amount stated under subsection (4)(a) above may not exceed the amount already calculated by the authority as its budget requirement for the year unless in the F8Welsh Ministers' opinion the authority failed to comply with section 32 or 43 above (as the case may be) in making the calculation;

(b)

subject to paragraph (a) above, the amount stated under subsection (4)(a) above may be the same as, or greater or smaller than, that stated in the notice under section 52E(2)(d) above;

(c)

the F9Welsh Ministers may alter the target amount for the year under subsection (4)(b) above only if the amount stated under subsection (4)(a) above is greater or smaller than that stated in the notice under section 52E(2)(d) above.

F10(6)

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(7)

An order under this section—

(a)

shall not be made unless a draft of it has been laid before and approved by resolution of the F11National Assembly for Wales;

(b)

may relate to two or more authorities.

(8)

As soon as is reasonably practicable after an order under this section is made the F12Welsh Ministers shall serve on the authority (or each authority) a notice stating—

(a)

the amount stated in the case of the authority concerned in the order;

(b)

the altered target amount for the year (if F13they alter it in the case of the authority concerned).

(9)

When F14they serve a notice under subsection (8) above on a precepting authority the F15Welsh Ministers shall also serve a copy of it on each billing authority to which the precepting authority has power to issue a precept.

(10)

In applying subsection (5)(a) above the F16Welsh Ministers shall ignore any calculation for which another has been substituted at the time of designation.

(11)

If the F17Welsh Ministers proceed under this subsection F18they shall—

(a)

cancel the designation of the authority under section 52D(2)(a) above as regards the year and notify the authority in writing of the cancellation, and

(b)

nominate the authority under section 52D(2)(b) above;

and in such a case the designation under section 52D(2)(a) above and the notification under section 52E above shall be treated as not having been made.