Civic Restaurants Act 1947

1 Power of local authorities to establish restaurants.

(1) The following authorities, that is to say—

(a) in the administrative county of London, the London County Council,

(b) elsewhere in England and Wales, the council of a county borough or county district,

(c) in Scotland, a county or town council,

may establish and carry on restaurants and otherwise provide for the supply to the public of meals and refreshments, and may carry on such activities as are reasonably incidental or ancillary to the activities aforesaid:

Provided that—

(i) where the Minister of Food is satisfied that the council of any county in Scotland are unreasonably refusing to exercise their powers under this Act in any district of the county, he may by order direct that the powers of the county council, so far as relating to that district, shall be exercisable by the district council instead of by the county council; and

(ii) this subsection shall not authorise the grant of a certificate under the Licensing (Scotland) Acts, 1903 to 1934, for the sale of exciseable liquor in any such restaurant in Scotland; and

(iii) a justices' licence granted under the Licensing Acts, 1910 to 1934, for the sale of intoxicating liquor in any such restaurant in England or Wales shall only authorise the sale of such liquor for consumption in the restaurant with a meal; and

(iv) such a licence shall not be granted in respect of any such restaurant established in premises forming part of, or used for the purposes of, any church, chapel or other place of religious worship or used for the purposes of any religious organisation except with the consent of the incumbent, minister, or other person in charge of the church, chapel or place of worship or, as the case may be, the consent of the religious organisation.

(2) Any such authority may delegate their powers under the foregoing provisions of this section, in respect of the whole of their area or any part thereof, to any other local authority.

(3) An authority exercising powers under this section, including an authority exercising delegated powers, is hereafter in this Act referred to as a'" civic restaurant authority ".

(4) A civic restaurant authority shall, in carrying on any activities under this section, be subject to all enactments and rules of law relating thereto, including, in England and Wales, the enactments relating to the sale of intoxicating liquor, in like manner as other persons carrying on the like activities.