Commentary on Sections Part 16: General and Miscellaneous Background
649.As with any Act delegating the power to legislate, this section is needed to set out the arrangements for how Ministers are to exercise such delegated power. This is a large Act with a number of provisions that confer power to amend primary legislation. Much of the Act involves consolidation and harmonisation of previous legislation, so that the range of possible consequential amendments is likely to be limited. It is thought convenient to specify in one place those powers to amend primary legislation that include a power to make consequential amendments to primary legislation. It is also thought that having a general broad power of the kind often found in other legislation would create duplication in those cases where it is considered that power to make consequential amendments is required and might raise doubt in those cases where it is not. The power in the form used in this Act allows for separate orders for consequential amendments and will in practice produce the same result as a general consequential power of the usual kind would.