Article 1 Citation, commencement and interpretation

This Order may be cited as the Water Services Charges (Billing and Collection) (Scotland) Order 2012 and comes into force on 1st April 2012.

In this Order—

• “the 1992 Act” means the Local Government Finance Act 1992^f1;

• “the 1992 Regulations” means the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) (Scotland) Regulations 1992^f2;

• “the 1994 Act” means the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994^f3;

• “the 2002 Act” means the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002;

• “the 2010 Order” means the Water Services Charges (Billing and Collection) (Scotland) Order 2010^f4;

• “billing year 2012-13” means the billing year that commences on 1 April 2012 and ends on 31 March 2013;

• “billing year 2013-14” means the billing year that commences on 1 April 2013 and ends on 31 March 2014;

• “charges scheme” means a charges scheme made under section 29A^f5 of the 2002 Act for a relevant year;

• “core functions” has the same meaning as in section 70(2) of the 2002 Act;

• “council tax” has the same meaning as in Part II of the 1992 Act;

• “dwelling” has the same meaning as in Part II of the 1992 Act;

• “financial year 2011-12” means the financial year that commences on 1 April 2011 and ends on 31 March 2012”;

• “financial year 2012-13” means the financial year that commences on 1 April 2012 and ends on 31 March 2013;

• “financial year 2013-14” means the financial year that commences on 1 April 2013 and ends on 31 March 2014;

• “financial year 2014-15” means the financial year that commences on 1 April 2014 and ends on 31 March 2015;

• “local authority” means a council constituted under section 2 of the 1994 Act; and “area”, in relation to a local authority, means the local government area (within the meaning of that Act) for which the Council is constituted;

• “Principles of Charging Statement” means the statement of policy made by the Scottish Ministers under section 29D of the 2002 Act in respect of the period 2010-15^f6;

• “relevant year” means, as appropriate, the billing years 2012-13 or 2013-14;

• “relevant period” means the period from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2015;

• “Scottish Water” means the body corporate established by section 20(1) of the 2002 Act;

• “sewerage charges” means charges payable under a charges scheme in respect of the provision of sewerage services to a dwelling in a relevant year;

• “valuation appeal committee” means a valuation appeal committee constituted in accordance with section 29 of the 1994 Act;

• “valuation appeal panel” means a valuation appeal panel constituted in accordance with section 29 of the 1994 Act;

• “water charges” means charges payable under a charges scheme in respect of the provision of water supply services to a dwelling in a relevant year; and

• “water services charges” means sewerage charges and water charges.