Acquisition of Land Act 1981

7 Interpretation

(1) In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires—

• " acquiring authority ", in relation to a compulsory purchase, means the Minister, local authority or other person who may be authorised to purchase the land compulsorily,

• " compulsory purchase order " means an order under section 2(1) above,

• " confirming authority ", in relation to a compulsory purchase, means, where the acquiring authority is not a Minister, the Minister having power to authorise the acquiring authority to purchase the land compulsorily,

• " land "—

  (a)

  includes messuages, tenements and hereditaments, and

  (b)

  in relation to compulsory purchase under any enactment, includes anything falling within any definition of the expression in that enactment,

• " local authority " means the council of a county, borough or district, the common council of the City of London, the receiver for the metropolitan police district or any other authority being a local authority within the meaning of the [1875 c. 83.] Local Loans Act 1875 and includes—

  (a)

  any water authority or drainage board,

  (b)

  any joint board or joint committee if all the constituent authorities are such local authorities as aforesaid, and

  (c)

  the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple and the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple,

• " National Trust " means the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty incorporated by the [1907 c. cxxxvi.] National Trust Act 1907,

• " owner " in relation to any land, means a person, other than a mortgagee not in possession, who is for the time being entitled to dispose of the fee simple of the land, whether in possession or in reversion, and includes also a person holding or entitled to the rents and profits of the land under a lease or agreement, the unexpired term whereof exceeds three years,

• " prescribed ": see subsection (2) below.

(2) Anything which, by Part II or III of this Act, or Schedule 1 or 3 of this Act, is required or authorised to be prescribed shall be prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State by statutory instrument.