A Minister of the Crown may pay a grant to a person for use in, or in connection with, promoting or facilitating the economic, efficient and effective exercise of functions by a best value authority or best value authorities or a relevant Welsh authority or relevant Welsh authorities.
The power to make a grant under this section is exercisable only with the consent of—
The power to pay a grant under this section does not include power to pay a grant to a best value authority or a relevant Welsh authority.
The amount of a grant under this section, and the method of payment, are to be such as the Minister of the Crown may determine.
A grant under this section may be paid on such conditions as the Minister of the Crown may determine.
Conditions under subsection (5) may, in particular, include—
For the purposes of this section—
" best value authority " includes the Greater London Authority, whether exercising its functions through the Mayor or otherwise;
" Minister of the Crown " has the same meaning as in the Ministers of the Crown Act 1975;
"relevant Welsh authority" means— a county council or county borough council in Wales; a National Park authority for a National Park in Wales; a fire and rescue authority in Wales, constituted by a scheme under section 2 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 or a scheme to which section 4 of that Act applies.