Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order in Council)

This Order in Council is made under sections 1 and 2 of the Ministers of the Crown Act 1975. It makes provision for the transfer of functions under the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (“the 2018 Regulations”) from the Minister for the Cabinet Office to the Secretary of State. It also makes provision for certain functions of the Minister for the Cabinet Office in Chapters 1, 3 and 4 of Part 5 of the Digital Economy Act 2017 to be exercised concurrently with the Secretary of State. The Order also makes provision for property, rights and liabilities in connection with certain digital functions, or in connection with the transferred functions in the 2018 Regulations, to be transferred from the Minister for the Cabinet Office to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology. Finally it makes supplementary provision in relation to those various transfers.

Article 2 makes provision for the interpretation of the Order in Council.

Article 3 transfers the functions of the Minister for the Cabinet Office under the 2018 Regulations to the Secretary of State.

Article 4 provides for functions under sections 44(4)(d), 48(11)(d) and 56(1)(d) of the Digital Economy Act 2017 to be exercised by the Minister for the Cabinet Office concurrently with the Secretary of State.

Article 5 makes provision which is supplementary to Articles 3 and 4.

Article 6 transfers the property, rights and liabilities connected with the functions transferred by Article 3 as well as any digital function, as defined in the Article, to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Article 7 makes provision which is supplementary to the transfer of digital functions and to Article 6.

Article 8 makes provision preserving the validity of anything done by or in relation to the Minister for the Cabinet Office before the coming into force of this Order.

Article 9 makes consequential amendments to primary legislation.

Nothing in this Order alters the functions of the Welsh Ministers, the Scottish Ministers or the devolved authorities in Northern Ireland.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.