Commentary on provisions of Act The Advanced Research and Invention Agency Section 8: Power to dissolve ARIA
This section allows the Secretary of State to make provision by regulations for the dissolution of ARIA at any time after the date on which ten years have elapsed since the passing of the Act. Before making regulations, the Secretary of State must consult ARIA and other persons that the Secretary of State considers appropriate.
	Subsection (4) makes broad provision as to what the regulations may include. This empowers the Secretary of State to wind up the body completely, for example by transferring assets out of ARIA or extinguishing liabilities held by or owed to ARIA. This may be useful in the event, for example, that ARIA has continuing contracts for office services. In the event that a person suffers loss or damage as a result of dissolution, the regulations may make provision for the Secretary of State or ARIA to pay compensation to that person.
	Subsection (6) provides that the regulations may transfer employee rights and liabilities, but this may not affect the operation of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE).
	As part of dissolving ARIA, regulations made under this section can modify other legislation, including primary legislation, whenever passed or made. This allows, for example, references to ARIA that might exist in future legislation to be changed or removed, in the event that the power to dissolve ARIA in section 8 is exercised in ten years or more’s time. Definitions of "modify" and "primary legislation" are given in subsection (8).