The new Part 3A inserted into NRSWA 1991 confers a range of functions on the Secretary of State. A number of these functions concern operational aspects of running NUAR, such as the keeping of the register, making information kept in the register available to others, and the receiving of fees. It is anticipated that, in practice, some of the Secretary of State’s functions, save those set out in subsection (8)(a) and (b) of new section 106H inserted into NRSWA 1991 by this section, can be appropriately exercised by others.
	Section 106H(1) and (2) provides for this to be done through the Secretary of State entering into arrangements with one or more persons or organisations. This could mean arrangements providing for more than one person to exercise a function, or for different organisations to exercise different functions. In addition, as set out in subsection (5), the fact that the Secretary of State has entered into arrangements with others in relation to one or more functions does not prevent the Secretary of State from also exercising those functions. Specific provision is also made, in subsection (3), allowing such arrangements to provide for payments to be made by the Secretary of State to the other person or organisation (and to provide for circumstances in which any such payments must be repaid).
	In light of the importance of the identity of such persons or organisations, the Secretary of State will only be able to enter into arrangements with a person where they have been identified, or "prescribed", in regulations for this purpose. Where arrangements have been entered into with a prescribed person or organisation, references to the Secretary of State in any of the provisions of the new Part 3A inserted into NRSWA 1991, or in any regulations made under powers in that Part, are instead (or additionally) to be read as references to the person or organisation concerned insofar as required to reflect the detail of the arrangements.
	Subsection (6) makes provision as to the disclosure of information between the Secretary of State and another party to arrangements under this section, setting out a general approach similar to that provided for in section 106C(3). Likewise, in this context, the Secretary of State is able to disapply this general approach, through the making of regulations, if considered appropriate, and this approach is also subject to section 106I.
	Subsection (9) makes clear that if a party to arrangements under this section exercises the function of charging or recovering fees, the person must pay the fees to the Secretary of State, except to the extent that Secretary of State directs otherwise.
Part 3: National Underground Asset Register Section 56: National Underground Asset Register: England and Wales Section 106H: Arrangements for third party to exercise functions