Subject to the provisions of any amalgamation scheme, a police force shall be maintained F2for every local government area, and the provisions of this Act shall have effect in relation to any police force so maintained and to the constables thereof.

Subject to the provisions of this Act relating to amalgamation schemes, any reference in this Act to a police area shall be construed as a reference to an area for which a police force falls to be maintained in pursuance of this section, or would apart from the said provisions fall to be so maintained, and shall include a reference to the territorial waters, if any, adjacent to such area.

F3For every police area the council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 shall be the police authority and, subject to the provisions of any amalgamation scheme, shall have in relation to that area, and to the police force maintained for that area or for any combined area comprising that area, the functions conferred or imposed upon police authorities by this Act.

The police authority shall pay to the constables of a police force pay and allowances in accordance with regulations made under Part II of this Act, and shall reimburse to such constables any expenses reasonably incurred by them in the performance of their duty . . . F4.

The police authority may, subject to any regulations made under Part II of this Act, provide and maintain such vehicles, apparatus, accoutrements, clothing and other equipment as may be required for the purposes of a police force.

The police authority may, subject to the consent of the Secretary of State, provide and maintain such land and buildings and other structures, and make such alterations in any buildings and other structures already provided, as may be required for the purposes of a police force (including cells for the temporary confinement of persons taken into police custody and dwelling-houses or other housing accommodation for constables).

A police force shall consist of a chief constable, regular constables and special constables.

In subsection (1) above—

Subject to the provisions of section 19(2)(a) of this Act and of any regulations made under Part II of this Act, the police authority shall, after consultation with, and subject to the approval of, the Secretary of State, appoint the chief constable of the police force maintained for their area.

A person appointed to the office of chief constable of a police force shall hold the rank of chief constable.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F6

Before seeking the approval of the Secretary of State under paragraph (d) of subsection (4) of this section the police authority shall give the chief constable an opportunity to make representations and shall consider any representations so made.

A chief constable who is called on to retire as aforesaid shall retire on such date as the police authority may specify when calling on him to retire or on such earlier date as may be agreed upon between him and the police authority.

Nothing in subsection (4) of this section shall prejudice the operation of section 23(2) of this Act, or of any enactment providing for retirement by virtue of section 1 of the F7M1Police Pensions Act 1976 (police pension regulations).

The ranks that may be held in a police force maintained under section 1 of this Act shall include that of assistant chief constable (but not that of deputy chief constable); and in every such police force there shall be at least one person holding that rank.

Appointments and promotions to the rank of assistant chief constable shall be made, in accordance with regulations under Part II of this Act, by the police authority after consultation with the chief constable and subject to the approval of the Secretary of State.

Subsections (4) to (7) of section 4 of this Act shall apply to an assistant chief constable as they apply to a chief constable.

No more than one person shall be authorised to act by virtue of a designation under subsection (4) of this section at any one time; and a person so authorised shall not have power to act by virtue of that subsection for a continuous period exceeding three months except with the consent of the Secretary of State.

The provisions of subsection (4) of this section shall be in addition to, and not in substitution for, any other enactment which makes provision for the exercise by any other person of powers conferred on a chief constable.

If there is more than one person in a police force who holds the rank of deputy chief constable, one of the persons who hold it shall be designated as the officer having the powers and duties conferred on a deputy chief constable by section 5(1) of this Act.

A person shall be designated under subsection (2) of this section by the police authority after consultation with the chief constable and subject to the approval of the Secretary of State.

Appointments and promotions to any rank below that of assistant chief constable in any police force shall be made, subject to the provisions of section 19(2)(a) of this Act and of any regulations made under Part II of this Act, by the chief constable.

Subsections (4) and (7) of section 4 of this Act (except paragraph (d) of the said subsection (4)) shall apply to a constable (not being a chief constable, F11F12. . . or an assistant chief constable) as they apply to a chief constable, with the substitution for any reference to the police authority of a reference to the person who is, in relation to the constable, the appropriate disciplinary authority as defined by section 26(7) of this Act.

The ranks which may be held in a police force shall be such as may be prescribed, and the ranks so prescribed shall include the ranks of chief constable F13. . ., assistant chief constable F13. . . superintendent F14, chief inspector, inspector, sergeant and constable..

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There shall not be assigned to any constable at any time a rank lower than that which he then holds, except with his consent or in accordance with regulations F16made in accordance with section 26(2A) of this Act.

The chief constable of any police force may, in accordance with regulations made under Part II of this Act F17. . ., appoint persons as police cadets to undergo training with a view to becoming constables of that police force.

Subject to such regulations as aforesaid, all police cadets shall be under the control of, and subject to dismissal by, the chief constable.

Subject to subsection (2) of this section, the police authority for a police area shall be treated for the purposes of any legal proceedings, and for the purposes of any enactment relating to the functions of employers, as the employer of any police cadets appointed to undergo training with the police force maintained for that area.

A police authority may employ for the assistance of the constables of a police force maintained for their area, or otherwise to enable the authority to discharge their functions, officers who are not constables.

The police authority shall exercise their powers under section 56 (and section 63) of the M2Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 so as to secure that, subject to subsection (3) below, any person employed by the authority under subsection (1) above is under the direction and control of the chief constable of the police force.

Subsection (2) above shall not apply to such of the persons employed by the authority as may be agreed between the chief constable and the authority or, in the absence of agreement, as may be determined by the Secretary of State.

The powers of direction and control referred to in subsection (2) above include the powers of engagement and dismissal.

A police authority may be authorised by the Secretary of State to acquire compulsorily land required for the purposes of their functions under this Act, and the M3Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) (Scotland) Act 1947 shall apply as if this section had been in force immediately before the commencement of that Act.

For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section and of F19sections 70 to 78 of the M4Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (acquisition of and dealings in land by local authorities) any land required, acquired, appropriated or held for the purposes of a police force shall be deemed to be required, acquired, appropriated or held, as the case may be, for the purposes of the functions of the police authority under this Act.