Commentary on Sections Implementation of Community obligations etc Section 27: Power to make orders, rules and schemes
142.Section 2(2) of the 1972 Act enables the implementation of Community law which is not automatically part of UK law. The existing powers allow for implementation by regulations but do not allow for the making of orders, rules or schemes, and this section is designed to allow section 2(2) to be used in combination with delegated powers in other legislation which enable the making of orders, rules or schemes. So section 27 makes amendments to the 1972 Act and other enactments, so as to enable the power to make subordinate instruments under section 2(2) of the 1972 Act to be exercised not only by making regulations but also by making an order, rules or a scheme.
143.Subsections (3) and (4) make consequential amendments to section 29 of the Government of Wales Act 1998 and Schedule 8 to the Scotland Act 1998.
144.Subsection (5) enables a Minister to make an order or regulations to amend any enactment or subordinate instrument which refers to regulations under section 2(2) of the 1972 Act so that it also includes a reference to any order, rules or scheme made under that section. (Certain of the terms used in subsection (5) are defined in subsection (9).)
145.Subsection (6) enables the devolved administrations to make similar provision.
146.The procedure for exercising this power is set out in subsections (7) and (8). The power is exercisable by statutory instrument (so far as exercisable by a Minister of the Crown, the Scottish Ministers or the Assembly) and, where exercisable by a Northern Ireland department, by statutory rule for the purposes of the Statutory Rules (Northern Ireland) Order 1979.