Explanatory note

This Order makes provision for the transfer of property, rights, liabilities and obligations from the Agricultural and Food Research Council and the Science and Engineering Research Council to the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council.

The Order makes an amendment to Schedule 3 to the Science and Technology Act 1965 to permit the continued participation of certain present and former staff of the Science and Engineering Research Council in a pension scheme administered by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (Article 5).

The Order makes provision for the general transfer of land and other property, rights, liabilities and obligations from the Agricultural and Food Research Council to the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Article 3) and for the transfer of obligations under contracts of employment from the Agricultural and Food Research Council and from the Science and Engineering Research Council (Article 4).

Property, rights, obligations and liabilities of the Science and Engineering Research Council are generally transferred to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (Article 6), whilst a number of specific transfers are made to the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council and to other Research Councils (Articles 7, 8, 9 and 10). The property, rights, liabilities and obligations referred to in Articles 7 to 10 are specified in Schedules 1 to 19.