gaged in the inquiry, not exceeding three | guineas a day, shall be paid by the local authority concerned, and the central authority may certify the amount of the costs incurred. Any sums so certified shall be a debt to the crown from the local authority.

7. Regulations.-The central authority may make regulations

(a) for prescribing anything which
under this Act is to be prescribed;
and

(b) as to the mode of ascertaining the
opinion of occupiers of shops; and
(c) as to conduct of local inquiries and
matters incidental thereto; and
(d) as to the procedure for obtaining
the revocation of a closing order;
and

(e) generally for carrying into effect
the provisions of this Act.

8. Definitions.-(1) In this Act the expression "local authority" in London outside the city means a metropolitan borough council, and elsewhere means the council of an urban district with a population according to the census of one thousand nine hundred and one of over twenty thousand and any council or other authority having power to appoint inspectors under the Shop Hours Acts, 1892 to 1895, and the provisions of those Acts relating to offences and proceedings, the appointment, powers and salaries of inspectors, and the expenses of local authorities, shall apply as if they were herein re-enacted and in terms made applicable to this Act, and as if references to the occupier of a shop were sub

stituted for references to the employer of a young person.

(2) Any expenses incurred by a metropolitan borough council under this Act shall be defrayed as part of the expenses of the council, and the expenses of an urban district council shall be defrayed as part of the general expenses incurred in the execution of the Public Health Acts.

(3) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-

The expression "shop" includes any
premises or place where retail trade
(including the business of a barber)
is carried on:

The expression "central authority"
means in England a Secretary of
State, in Scotland the Secretary for
Scotland, and in Ireland the Lord
Lieutenant.

9. Power of county councils to delegate powers under the Shop Hours Acts, 1892 to 1895.-Where an order under this Act is in force in any metropolitan borough or urban district, the council of the county in which the borough or district is situate may delegate to the council of the borough or district, either with or without any restrictions or conditions as they think fit, their powers under the Shop Hours Acts, 1892 to 1895.

10. Short title.-This Act may be cited as the Shop Hours Act, 1904, and the Shop Hours Acts, 1892 to 1895, and the Seats for Shop Assistants Act, 1899, and this Act, may be cited together as the Shops Regulation Acts, 1892 to 1904.

Post Office business.

The sale of medicines and medical and surgical appliances.

The sale by retail of intoxicating liquors for consumption on or off the premises. The sale of refreshments for consumption on the premises.

The sale of tobacco and other smokers' requisites.

The sale of newspapers.

The business carried on at a railway bookstall or at a railway refreshment

room.

11. Inhabited house duty on houses let in tenements or flats.-(1) Where a house, so far as it is used as a dwellinghouse, is used for the sole purpose of providing separate dwellings,

(a) The value of any dwelling in the house which is of an annual value below twenty pounds shall be excluded from the annual value of the house for the purposes of inhabited house duty; and

(b) The rate of inhabited house duty in respect of any dwelling in the house of an annual value of twenty pounds but not exceeding forty pounds shall be reduced to threepence; and

(c) The rate of inhabited house duty

in respect of any dwelling in the house of an annual value exceeding forty pounds but not exceeding sixty pounds shall be reduced to sixpence. (2) The provisions of this section as respects dwellings of an annual value not exceeding forty pounds shall not take effect with regard to any such dwelling unless such a certificate as to accommodation and sanitary condition is produced to the General Commissioners as defined by section five of the Taxes Management Act, 1880, as is mentioned in subsection (2) of section twenty-six of the Customs and Inland Revenue Act, 1890, and the provisions of that subsection as to the certificate shall apply for the purpose.