(1) The central office shall exercise the functions and powers formerly vested -
(a) as respects trade unions, in the registrar of friendly societies in England; and
(b) as respects building societies, in the registrar of building societies in England; and
(c) as respects unincorporated benefit building societies, loan societies, and societies instituted for purposes of science literature or the fine arts, in the barristers appointed to certify the rules of savings banks or friendly societies,
and shall be entitled to receive all fees payable to those registrars and barristers; and all enactments relating to those registrars and barristers shall, so far as respects trade unions and such societies as aforesaid, be construed as applying to the central office.
(2) The central office shall, with the approval of the Treasury -
(a) prepare and cause to be circulated, for the use of societies, model forms of accounts, balance sheets, and valuation; and
(b) collect from the returns under this
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