42.The Secretary of State's principal general power to give developmental assistance is to be found in section 1(1) of the Overseas Development and Co-operation Act 1980. Section 1(9) of that Act presently provides that section 1(1) cannot be used to give assistance to CDC. Section 12 repeals that restriction, giving CDC, in legal terms, the same access to funding from the development assistance programme as other bodies. At present financial assistance to CDC is provided under the 1978 Act, and CDC is only funded from the development assistance programme in so far as the 1978 Act allows.
Commentary on Sections Financial assistance by Government Section 12: Other assistance