Civil Aviation Act 1971

61 Official secrets

(1) For the purposes of section 2 of the [1911 c. 28.] Official Secrets Act 1911 (which among other things relates to the wrongful communication of information) a member and an employee of the Authority shall be deemed to hold an office under Her Majesty and a contract with the Authority shall be deemed to be a contract with Her Majesty.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (c) of section 3 of the said Act of 1911 (under which the Secretary of State may by order declare any place belonging to Her Majesty to be a prohibited place for the purposes of that Act) a place belonging to or used for the purposes of the Authority shall be deemed to be a place belonging to Her Majesty.

(3) Subject to the following subsection no person shall, except with the consent of and in accordance with any conditions imposed by the Authority, be entitled to exercise any right of entry (whether arising by virtue of a statutory provision or otherwise) upon a place which by virtue of the preceding subsection is a prohibited place for the purposes of the said Act of 1911.

(4) The preceding subsection shall not apply to—

(a) a constable acting in the course of his duty as such ; or

(b) an officer of customs and excise or inland revenue acting in the execution of his duty as such ; or

(c) an officer of any government department specially authorised in that behalf by or on behalf of a Minister of the Crown;

and if the Authority refuses consent for or imposes conditions on the exercise by any person of a right of entry upon such a place as is mentioned in the preceding subsection and that person applies to the Secretary of State for an authorisation to exercise the right, the Secretary of State may if he thinks fit authorise that person to exercise it subject to such conditions, if any, as the Secretary of State may determine.