Defence of the Realm (Acquisition of Land) Act 1920

3 †Provision as to acquisition and possession of land under the principal act. U.K.

(1) It is hereby declared that—

(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

(b) the expressions “Government department in possession” and “occupying department,” where used in the principal Act and this Act mean, and shall be deemed always to have meant, the Government department for the time being in possession of land, notwithstanding that the department so in possession is not the department by which or on whose behalf possession was originally taken, but is in possession by virtue of a transfer from the said department or from some other department to which possession has subsequently been transferred:

(c) where the occupying department has created or purported to create any tenancy or other interest in the land of which it is in possession in favour of some other person, or has allowed any other person to use or occupy that land, the occupying department shall, for the purposes of the principal Act and this Act, be deemed to have continued in possession of the land, notwithstanding the interest therein of, or the use or occupation thereof by, such other person:

(d) the possession by an occupying department shall be deemed not to have been affected or prejudiced by reason of the land or any part thereof at any time ceasing or having ceased to be used for the purpose for which possession thereof was originally taken, or otherwise being or having been used for any other purpose:

(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2

(2) A Government department in possession of land under a lease or tenancy granted or created prior to the commencement of the present war shall have the like power of removing any building or other work which, for purposes connected with the present war, has been erected or constructed on, over, or under that land wholly or partly at the expense of the State as is conferred by section two of the principal Act on an occupying department, and this power shall be exercisable notwithstanding any provision of the lease or tenancy under which the land is help . . . F3

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 3(1)(a) repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1927 (c. 42)

F2 S. 3(1)(e) repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1953 (c. 5)

F3 Words repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1927 (c. 42)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 A dagger appended to a marginal note means that it is no longer accurate