
1 

(1) For the purposes of establishing, maintaining and improving air services serving the Highlands and Islands, the Secretary of State may assist, in accordance with the provisions of this Act, persons who provide or propose to provide such services.
(2) The Secretary of State may, with the consent of the Treasury, make advances, out of moneys provided by Parliament, either by way of grant or loan, or partly in one of-those ways and partly in the other, on such terms and conditions as he considers expedient, to any such person as aforesaid; and in the case of a grant, the terms and conditions may include provisions for repayment in whole or in part in specified circumstances.
(3) Any moneys received by the Secretary of State by virtue of this section shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund.
2 
Any expenses of the Secretary of State incurred in consequence of the provisions of this Act shall be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament.
3 
In this Act—
 " air services " means air transport services, other than international air services, operating in accordance with a licence granted under section 22 of the Civil Aviation Act 1971 or under the authority of an instrument made under section 21(2) of that Act; and
 " the Highlands and Islands " means that area within or in relation to which the functions of the Highlands and Islands Development Board may be exercised by virtue of subsection (2) of section 1 of the Highlands and Islands Development (Scotland) Act 1965.
4 
Section 21 of the Scottish Development Agency Act 1975 is repealed.
5 

(1) This Act may be cited as the Highlands and Islands Air Services (Scotland) Act 1980.
(2) This Act shall come into operation on the 15th of December 1980.
(3) This Act extends to Scotland only.