Fire Services Act 1947

5 Voluntary schemes for combination of fire authorities.

(1) If it appears to any two or more fire authorities that it is expedient that their areas should be combined for fire-fighting purposes, they may submit to the Secretary of State a scheme in that behalf (hereafter in this Act referred to as a " combination scheme ") and the Secretary of State may by order approve any combination scheme submitted to him.

(2) Subject to the provisions of this Act, a combination scheme shall make provision with respect to the following matters, that is to say—

(a) the constitution of an authority as the fire authority for the combined area and the establishment of a fire brigade therefor, the transfer to that brigade of members of fire brigades maintained by the constituent authorities and the appointment as first chief officer of the brigade established by the scheme of such person as may be specified therein ;

(b) the payment of the expenses of the fire authority constituted by the scheme out of a combined fire service fund constituted in accordance with the provisions of the scheme;

(c) the payment into the combined fire service fund, out of the local funds of the constituent areas, of contributions assessed in accordance with the provisions of the scheme for meeting liabilities imposed on that fund by or under the scheme;

(d) the transfer to the fire authority constituted by the scheme of such property, rights and liabilities of the constituent authorities (being property, rights and liabilities held or incurred in connection with the provision of fire services, as may be determined by or under the scheme, or the use by the fire authority constituted by the scheme of any such property) the appointment of officers of that fire authority (including a clerk to that authority and a treasurer of the combined fire service fund) and the transfer to that authority of such officers of the constituent authorities as may be determined by or under the scheme;

(e) the payment, by such authority and subject to such provisions as may be provided by the scheme, of compensation to persons employed by any of the constituent authorities who in consequence of the scheme or anything done thereunder suffer direct pecuniary loss by reason of the determination of their appointments or the diminution of their emoluments ;

(f) in the case of persons who, having immediately before the coming into operation of the scheme been chief officers of fire brigades maintained by any of the constituent authorities, do not on the coming into operation thereof become chief officer of the fire brigade established by the scheme, for the payment in lieu of compensation under the last foregoing paragraph of emoluments, and of pensions, gratuities or allowances, of such amounts, subject to such conditions, and by such authority as may be provided by the scheme,

and may provide for any other matters incidental to or consequential on the provisions of the scheme.