For the purposes of such arrangements as are mentioned in paragraph (d) of the last foregoing subsection, any member of a fire brigade maintained in pursuance of this Act shall, if authorised in writing by the authority maintaining the brigade, have the like powers of entering premises as are conferred upon authorised officers of councils by section two hundred and eighty-seven of the [26 Geo. 5. & 1 Edw. 8. c. 49.] Public Health Act, 1936; and accordingly that Act shall have effect as if the references in that section to an authorised officer of a council included references to a member of a fire brigade authorised as aforesaid, and as if among the purposes specified in subsection (1) of that section there were included the purposes of carrying out such arrangements as aforesaid.

The Secretary of State may, after consultation with the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council constituted under this Act, make regulations prescribing standards of efficiency with respect to any of the matters mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, and the standards may vary according to the requirements of, and the facilities available in, different kinds of locality; and any fire authority whose services are of a standard so prescribed shall, as respects the matter for which the standard is prescribed, be deemed to have complied with the provisions of subsection (1) of this section.

Any reinforcement scheme made under the last foregoing subsection shall be notified to the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of State may direct that any such scheme notified to him shall have effect subject to such modifications as may be specified in the directions.

Where in the case of any fire authorities no reinforcement scheme has been made, or it appears to the Secretary of State that any such scheme is no longer satisfactory, the Secretary of State may, after affording an opportunity to all fire authorities appearing to him to be concerned to make representations to him, make a reinforcement scheme for the authorities in question.

A reinforcement scheme may make provision for apportioning between the fire authorities concerned, in such proportions as may be specified by or under the scheme, expenses incurred in taking measures to secure the efficient operation of the scheme.

A reinforcement scheme may contain such provisions requiring uniformity of equipment as appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary for the purpose of ensuring that the fire brigades affected will be able to render efficient assistance in pursuance of the scheme.

Where a reinforcement scheme has come into operation, it shall be the duty of the fire authorities to whom the scheme applies to carry it into effect.

Any reinforcement scheme may be varied by a subsequent such scheme made in the like manner and subject to the like provisions.

The Secretary of State may, for the purposes of his functions under this section, hold such public local inquiries as he thinks fit.

Before making any standing arrangements for the exercise of the powers conferred by paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of this section, a fire authority shall obtain the approval of the Secretary of State to the proposed arrangements unless they have been approved by the Minister in charge of any other Government department.

Save as expressly provided in this Act, a fire authority shall not make any charge for services rendered by the authority.

A fire authority may be authorised by the Minister of Health to purchase compulsorily any land, whether situate within or without the area of the authority, which is required by them for the purposes of their functions under this Act, and the [9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. 49.] Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) Act, 1946, shall apply as if this Act had been in force immediately before the commencement of that Act:

Provided that section two of that Act (which confers temporary powers for speedy acquisition of land in urgent cases) shall not apply to any compulsory purchase of land under this Act.

If it appears to any two or more fire authorities that it is expedient that their areas should be combined for fire-fighting purposes, they may submit to the Secretary of State a scheme in that behalf (hereafter in this Act referred to as a " combination scheme ") and the Secretary of State may by order approve any combination scheme submitted to him.

Subject to the provisions of this section, if it appears to the Secretary of State that it is expedient in the interests of efficiency that a combination scheme should be made for the areas of any two or more fire authorities, and no scheme satisfactory to him has been submitted to him by the fire authorities for those areas under the last foregoing section, the Secretary of State may for that purpose by order make such, scheme as he considers expedient, and the provisions of subsection (2) of the last foregoing section shall apply in relation to any such scheme as they apply in relation to a scheme made under that section :

Provided that where the population of a county or county borough, as estimated by the Registrar General, is one hundred thousand or upwards, then except with the consent of the council of the county or borough no scheme shall be made by the Secretary of State under this section for the combination of the county or borough with any area or areas of a fire authority or authorities of which the population or aggregate population, as so estimated, exceeds that of the county or borough.

Where the Secretary of State proposes to make a scheme under this section, he shall give to the fire authorities concerned notice of the general nature of the proposed scheme; and unless those authorities give him notice that they assent thereto, he shall cause a public local inquiry to be held by a person appointed by him, not being an officer of a fire authority or of any Government department.

The Secretary of State shall lay before each House of Parliament a draft of any scheme proposed to be made by him under this section, and, where a local inquiry has been held under this section with respect thereto, shall lay together with the draft a copy of the report of the person by whom the inquiry was held; and if either House within the period of forty days beginning with the day on which the draft scheme is laid before it resolves that the scheme be not made, no further proceedings shall be taken thereon, but without prejudice to the laying before Parliament of a new draft scheme.

In reckoning any such period of forty days as aforesaid, no account shall be taken of any time during which Parliament is dissolved or prorogued or during which both Houses are adjourned for more than four days.

A joint committee under section ninety-one of the [23 & 24 Geo. 5. c. 51.] Local Government Act, 1933, shall not be appointed for the purposes of this Act without the prior approval of the Secretary of State.

For the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared that a combination scheme may be submitted and approved under section five of this Act or may be made under section six thereof notwithstanding that a joint committee under the said section ninety-one has been appointed for fire service purposes for all or some of the areas in respect of which the combination scheme is submitted or made.

A fire authority constituted by a combination scheme shall consist of such representatives of each of the constituent areas as may be prescribed by the scheme, and every such authority shall be a body corporate by such name as may be prescribed by the scheme with a common seal and with power to hold land without licence in mortmain.

Provision may be made by a combination scheme for applying in relation to the constitution and proceedings of the fire authority thereby constituted, and in relation to the officers of that authority, any of the provisions of Parts II to IV of the Local Government Act, 1933 (which contain general provisions as to members, committees and officers of local authorities), subject to such modifications as may be prescribed by the scheme.

The Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) Act, 1946, and the provisions of the Local Government Act, 1933, with respect to the acquisition of land by agreement and the appropriation and disposal of land shall apply to fire authorities constituted by combination schemes as they apply to fire authorities being councils of counties or county boroughs, and accordingly references in the said Act of 1946 and the said provisions of the said Act of 1933 to local authorities shall include references to fire authorities constituted by combination schemes.

For the purposes of the discharge of their functions under a combination scheme, the fire authority constituted by the scheme shall have the powers of the council of a county or county borough in relation to the borrowing of money for fire service purposes, and the provisions of Part IX of the Local Government Act, 1933, and of any other enactment relating to the borrowing of money by local authorities shall apply accordingly, subject to such adaptations and modifications as may be prescribed by the scheme.

The accounts of every fire authority constituted by a combination scheme shall be subject to audit by a district auditor under Part X of the Local Government Act, 1933.

A fire authority constituted by a combination scheme may, if so authorised by the scheme, make arrangements with any constituent authority for the use by the fire authority of the services of officers and servants of the constituent authority and for the making of contracts and payments on behalf of the fire authority by the constituent authority.

The [1 Edw. 8. & 1 Geo. 6. c. 68.] Local Government Superannuation Act, 1937, shall have effect as if a fire authority constituted by a combination scheme were included among the local authorities specified in Part I of the First Schedule to that Act, and in relation to contributory employees of such a fire authority the appropriate superannuation fund for the purposes of that Act shall be such fund as may be determined by or under the scheme.

For the purposes of section pine of the [25 & 26 Geo. 5. c. 23.] Superannuation Act, 1935 (which makes provision for civil servants entering the service of a local authority and officers of a local authority becoming civil servants) a fire authority constituted by a combination scheme shall be deemed to be a local authority.

A combination scheme approved or made under section five or section six of this Act may be amended or revoked by a subsequent scheme approved or made under those sections, and the foregoing provisions of this Act shall, so far as applicable, have effect in relation to any such amending or revoking scheme subject to any necessary modifications and to the following provisions of this section.

The authority or authorities by whom a scheme for the amendment or the revocation of a combination scheme or schemes may be submitted to the Secretary of State under subsection (1) of section five of this Act shall be the fire authority or authorities constituted by the scheme or schemes to be amended or revoked, together, in the case of an amending scheme which provides for the inclusion in a combined area of the area of a fire authority other than one constituted by a combination scheme, with that fire authority; and references to fire authorities in subsection (1) of section five of this Act shall be construed accordingly.

The authorities to whom, under subsection (2) of section six of this Act, .notice must be given by the Secretary of State of a scheme proposed to be made by him for the amendment or revocation of a combination scheme or schemes shall be the authority or authorities by whom a scheme for that purpose might have been submitted by virtue of the last foregoing subsection, and the council of any county and the council of any county borough comprised in the combined area constituted by the original scheme or schemes.

Where, by any local Act in force with respect to an area of any local authority which ceases to be a separate authority for fire-fighting purposes by virtue of this Act or of a scheme thereunder, provision is made for conferring or imposing special powers or duties on persons employed for such purposes by that authority, the Secretary of State may by order adapt the local Act so far as appears to him to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of the exercise or performance of those powers or duties by persons so employed by the fire authority for the county comprising that area, or for the combined area, as the case may be:

Provided that nothing in this subsection or in any order made in accordance therewith shall be construed as extending the area within which or the matters in relation to which any such powers or duties as aforesaid are authorised or required by the local Act to be exercised or performed.

As from the appointed day any reference in any enactment passed before the passing of this Act and for the time being in force to a fire brigade (by whatever name described) maintained by an authority which is an authority for fire-fighting purposes by virtue of this Act shall be construed as a reference to the brigade maintained by the authority in pursuance of this Act.

Any order under subsection (1) of this section may be varied or revoked by a subsequent order thereunder made in the like manner and subject to the like provisions.

A fire authority may make arrangements with any other fire authority or other persons who maintain a fire brigade so as to secure, by the provision of services by the other fire authority or persons, the discharge of all or any of the first-mentioned fire authority's functions under, this Act in respect of all or any part of its area, and arrangements under this subsection may make provision with respect to the terms as to payments or otherwise on which the services in question are to be provided:

Provided that no arrangements shall take effect under this subsection unless submitted to and approved by the Secretary of State.

Where any fire authority have requested another fire authority to enter into arrangements under the last foregoing subsection, and the other fire authority are unwilling to do so, or the authorities cannot agree as to the extent of the services to be provided under such arrangements or the terms on which they are to be provided, the first-mentioned authority may request the Secretary of State to determine what arrangements, if any, should be made for the provision of services by the other fire authority.

Where in the case of any fire authority no arrangements approved by the Secretary of State under subsection (1) of this section are in force and it appears to the Secretary of State expedient with a view to securing greater efficiency or economy that it is for consideration whether such arrangements should be entered into with any other authority, he may give notice to the authorities accordingly.

Where a request is made to the Secretary of State under subsection (2) of this section, or notice is given by the Secretary of State under the last foregoing subsection, he shall afford an opportunity to the fire authorities concerned to make representations and, if he thinks fit or if any of those authorities request him so to do, shall cause a public local inquiry to be held.

If the Secretary of State is satisfied, after considering any representations made under the last foregoing subsection and, if an inquiry is held, the report of the person by whom the inquiry was held, that it is expedient with a view to securing greater efficiency or economy that arrangements should be made for the provision of services as mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, he may direct that the fire authorities shall enter into such arrangements as may be specified in the direction.

For the purposes of the last foregoing section, a fire authority may enter into an agreement with statutory water undertakers for the taking by the undertakers, on such terms as to payment or otherwise as may be specified in the agreement, of such measures as may be so specified for securing that an adequate supply of water will be available in case of fire; and no water undertakers shall unreasonably refuse to enter into any agreement proposed by a fire authority under this subsection.

Any question whether statutory water undertakers have unreasonably refused to enter into an agreement under this subsection shall be determined by the Minister of Health.

Without prejudice to the generality of the last foregoing subsection, a fire authority, if satisfied that the existing supply of water provided by any statutory water undertakers for domestic and industrial purposes would be likely to be inadequate in case of fire, may enter into an agreement with the undertakers under the last foregoing subsection for the provision of such additional supply of water as may be specified in the agreement.

Section thirty-eight of the Third Schedule to the Water Act, 1945 (which provides for penalties for breaches of obligations under Part VIII of that Schedule) shall apply to any breach of an obligation of undertakers under subsection (1) or (3) of this section or under an agreement entered into in pursuance of the said subsection (1).

Any person who uses a fire hydrant, otherwise than for fire-fighting purposes or for any other purposes of a fire brigade maintained in pursuance of this Act or for any purpose authorised by the undertakers or other persons to whom the hydrant belongs, or who damages or obstructs any fire hydrant, otherwise than in consequence of its use for any such purpose as aforesaid, shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding ten pounds.

The Secretary of State may, after consultation with the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council constituted under this Act, make regulations providing for uniformity in fire hydrants provided by statutory water undertakers and in the notices or marks indicating their situation; and in any case to which regulations under this subsection apply such undertakers shall not be deemed to have complied with their obligations under subsection (3) of this section and the enactments therein referred to unless the hydrants, notices or marks provided by them conform with the regulations.

In this and the next following section the expression " statutory water undertakers " has the same meaning as in the provisions of the Water Act, 1945, other than Part II thereof; and references in this section to any provision of the Third Schedule to that Act shall include references to any other provision of that Schedule (whether as to the giving of notices, the enforcement of obligations, or otherwise) ancillary thereto.

Subject to any agreement under the last foregoing subsection, a fire authority may use for fire-fighting purposes any convenient and suitable supply of water, but shall be liable to pay reasonable compensation therefor:

Provided that nothing in this subsection shall affect the duty of undertakers to whom section forty-two of the [10 & 11 Vict. c. 17.] Waterworks Clauses Act, 1847 or section thirty-six of the Third Schedule to the Water Act, 1945, applies to supply water for the said purposes without compensation or payment.

At least seven days before any works which affect any fire hydrant are begun, the authority or person by whom the works are to be executed shall give notice in writing to the fire authority:

Provided that where in a case of emergency it is not practicable for notice to be given at the time required by the foregoing provisions of this subsection, those provisions shall be deemed to have been complied with if the notice is given as early as may be.

Where the Secretary of State does not approve any recommendation made as mentioned in the last foregoing subsection he shall refer the recommendation for further consideration in accordance with the arrangements, and for the making in accordance with the arrangements of a report thereon within such period not less than twenty-one days as he may specify, and shall take into consideration any report so made before proceeding to make regulations under this section as to any matter to which the recommendation relates.

In the proviso to subsection (1) of section nineteen of the [8 & 9 Geo. 6. c. 17.] Wages Councils Act, 1945 (which excludes from the operation of Part III of that Act workers whose remuneration is fixed under other enactments), after the words " the Education Act, 1944," there shall be inserted the words " the Fire Services Act, 1947. "

Nothing in the last foregoing section shall apply to the matters specified in subsection (1) of this section.

The establishment of members of a fire brigade of different descriptions and ranks, and of fire stations and equipment of different descriptions, to be maintained by a fire authority in pursuance of the foregoing provisions of this Act shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of a scheme made by the authority under this section (hereafter in this Act referred to as an " establishment scheme ") and for the time being in force.

An establishment scheme shall provide that the chief officer of the fire brigade to which the scheme relates shall be directly responsible to the fire authority maintaining the brigade or to a committee thereof.

An establishment scheme shall be submitted to the Secretary of State, and shall come into force when approved by him, either as submitted or subject to such modifications as he may direct.

An establishment scheme may be varied by a subsequent scheme made in like manner and subject to the like provisions as the scheme varied.

The provisions of subsections (1), (2), (4) and (5) of this section shall apply to a scheme made under the said subsection (5) as if it were an establishment scheme submitted to and approved by the Secretary of State.

In the case of a fire authority, other than the London County Council, which is the council of a county, the foregoing provisions of this section shall have effect subject to the provisions of the First Schedule to this Act.

The Secretary of State may, for the purposes of his functions under this section, hold such public local inquiries as he thinks tit; and if in connection with the making of a scheme under paragraph (b) of subsection (5) of this section the fire authority so requires, the Secretary of State shall cause a public local inquiry to be held before he makes the scheme.

The provisions in that behalf of the Second Schedule to this Act shall have effect for the purposes of this section in the case of fire authorities constituted by combination schemes.

In relation to any period before the appointed day the foregoing provisions of this section and the provisions ancillary thereto of the said First and Second Schedules shall apply with the substitution for references to a fire authority of references to an authority which on the appointed day will become a fire authority.

Until the coming into force in accordance with the provisions of this Act of a scheme (hereafter in this Act referred to as a " management scheme ") determining the constitution of a fire brigade committee under this section, the constitution thereof shall be such as may be determined by the fire authority, and thereafter such as may be determined by such a scheme.

As soon as may be after the appointed day every such fire authority as aforesaid shall make a management scheme in accordance with the provisions in that behalf of the First Schedule to this Act.

A management scheme shall provide for the appointment to a fire brigade committee by the fire authority of such number of members of that authority as may be specified in the scheme, and for the appointment to the committee by or on behalf of councils of county districts comprised in the area of the fire authority of such less number of persons representing those councils as may be so specified.

A management scheme shall be submitted to the Secretary of State, and shall come into force when approved by him, either as submitted or subject to such modifications as he may direct.

A management scheme may be varied by a subsequent scheme made in the like manner and subject to the like provisions as the scheme varied.

The provisions of subsections (4), (6) and (7) of this section shall apply to a scheme made under the said subsection (7) as if it were a management scheme submitted to and approved by the Secretary of State.

A fire authority may establish and maintain training centres for providing courses of instruction for members of their own or other fire brigades and for training persons for service in fire brigades.

For the purpose of obtaining information as to the manner in which fire authorities are performing their functions under this Act and as to technical matters relating to those functions, inspectors may be appointed by His Majesty, and the Secretary of State may appoint assistant inspectors and other officers.

The Secretary of State may pay to persons appointed under this section such remuneration as he may with the approval of the Treasury determine.

The Secretary of State may with the consent of the Treasury make regulations providing for the payment by him to the councils of counties and county boroughs, and to authorities constituted by combination schemes, of annual grants in respect of expenditure incurred by them in connection with the provision of fire services of amounts not exceeding twenty-five per cent of the expenditure.

Regulations made under the last foregoing subsection may make provision whereby the payment of grants in pursuance thereof is dependent upon the fulfilment of such conditions as may be determined by or under the regulations.

Regulations made as aforesaid may provide for the deduction from grants to any authority, of amounts not exceeding the appropriate fraction of so much of the expenditure incurred by the Secretary of State under section twenty-three of this Act as is apportioned to the authority in accordance with the

In this subsection the expression " appropriate fraction " means the fraction of any expenditure of an authority incurred by them in the exercise of their functions under this Act which, after allowing for the grants provided under subsection (1) of this section but not for the deductions therefrom under this subsection, would fall ultimately to be borne by the authority.

The Secretary of State may by order bring into operation a scheme, to be known as the Firemen's Pension Scheme, whereby provision is made, subject to the provisions of this section and of the Scheme, for the payment by fire authorities and such other authorities as may be specified in the Scheme of pensions, allowances and gratuities to persons employed as members of fire brigades maintained in pursuance of this Act who retire from such employment on or after the appointed day or die on or after the appointed day while so employed, and to their widows, children and dependants.

The Scheme may be varied by a subsequent order of the Secretary of State under this section.

Any order under this section shall be made with the approval of the Treasury, and after consultation with the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council.

As respects any person retiring on or after the appointed day from employment as, or employment which for the purposes of the Scheme is to be treated as employment as, a member of a fire brigade maintained in pursuance of this Act, or dying on or after the appointed day while in such employment, the Scheme shall, subject to the provisions of this section, have effect to the exclusion of any other provision for pension, allowance or gratuity in respect of such employment contained in or in force under any enactment.

For the purposes of subsection (2) of this section, a fire brigade maintained in pursuance of the Fire Brigades Act, 1938, for any area and a fire brigade maintained in pursuance of this Act for that area, or an area including that area, shall be treated as one.

Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall affect the operation of the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act, 1946, or the National Insurance Act, 1946, but the Scheme may provide for the reduction or withholding of awards under the Scheme in cases where awards are provided for in respect of the same matters under either of the said Acts.

The Secretary of State may by regulations provide, in the event of the appointed day for the purposes of the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act, 1946, falling earlier than the appointed day for the purposes of this Act, for the reduction or withholding of awards under the Fire Brigade Pensions Act, 1925, or any such arrangements as are mentioned in paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section in cases where awards are provided for in respect of the same matters under the said Act of 1946.

In this section—

• the expression " pensionable members of fire brigades " means persons in whose case provision for pension purposes is made by or under any enactment in respect of their employment as members of fire brigades, including employment which for pension purposes is treated as employment as members of fire brigades;

• the expression " pensionable employment " means employment in service in respect of which provision for pension purposes is made by or under any enactment;

• the expression " pension purposes ", in relation to any employment, means the purposes of authorising pensions, gratuities or other awards in respect of that employment.

The Secretary of State shall constitute a Council to be called the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council, for the purpose of advising him on any matters as to which he is required by this Act to consult the Council or any other matter arising, otherwise than under section seventeen of this Act, in connection with the operation of this Act which the Council have taken into consideration, whether on a reference from the Secretary of State or otherwise.

Subject to the provisions of the next following subsection, the Council 'shall consist of a chairman appointed by the Secretary of State and of such number of other persons so appointed as the Secretary of State may determine, being persons appointed as representing the interests of fire authorities and of persons employed as members of fire brigades maintained in pursuance of this Act.

In addition to the persons mentioned in the last foregoing subsection the Secretary of State may, if he thinks fit, appoint as members of the Council, either generally or for the consideration of any particular matter, such other persons .appearing to him to have special qualifications as he may determine.

The procedure (including the quorum) of the Council shall, subject to any directions of the Secretary of State, be such as the Council may determine.

The Secretary of State may defray any expenses authorised by him with the consent of the Treasury to be incurred by the Council.

Any member of a fire brigade maintained in pursuance of this Act who is on duty, any member of any other fire brigade who is acting in pursuance of any arrangements made under this Act, or any constable, may enter and if necessary break into any premises Or place in which a fire has or is reasonably believed to have broken out, or any premises or place which it is necessary to enter for the purposes of extinguishing a fire or of protecting the premises or place from acts done for fire-fighting purposes, without the consent of the owner or occupier thereof, and may do all such things as he may deem necessary for extinguishing the fire or for protecting from fire, or from acts done as aforesaid, any such premises or place or for rescuing any person or property therein.

Any person who wilfully obstructs or interferes with any member of a fire brigade maintained in pursuance of this Act who is engaged in operations for fire-fighting purposes shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty-five pounds.

At any fire the senior fire brigade officer present shall have the sole charge and control of all operations for the extinction of the fire, including the fixing of the positions of fire engines and apparatus, the attaching of hose to any water pipes or the use of any water supply, and the selection of the parts of the premises, object or place where the fire is, or of adjoining premises, objects or places, against which the water is to be directed.

Any water undertakers shall, on being required by any such senior officer as is mentioned in the last preceding subsection to provide a greater supply and pressure of water for extinguishing a fire, take all necessary steps to enable them to comply with such requirement and may for that purpose shut off the water from the mains and pipes in any area; and no authority or person shall be liable to any penalty or claim by reason of the interruption of the supply of water occasioned only by compliance of the water undertakers with such a requirement.

The senior officer of police present at any fire, or in the absence of any officer of police the senior fire brigade officer present, may close to traffic any street or may stop or regulate the traffic in any street whenever in the opinion of that officer it is necessary or desirable to do so for fire-fighting purposes.

In this section the expression " senior fire brigade officer present, " in relation to any fire, means the senior officer present of the fire brigade maintained in pursuance of this Act in the area in which the fire originates, or, if any arrangements or reinforcement scheme made under this Act provide that any other person shall have charge of the operations for the extinction of the fire, that other person.

This section shall come into operation on the appointed day.

Any person who knowingly gives or causes to be given a false alarm of fire to any fire brigade maintained in pursuance of this Act or to any member of such a brigade shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty-five pounds or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or both such fine and such imprisonment,

In relation to anything done before the appointed day references in the last foregoing subsection to a fire brigade maintained in pursuance of this Act shall be construed as references to the National Fire Service.

The [58 & 59 Vict. c. 28.] False Alarms of Fire Act, 1895, and section sixty-one of the [9 Edw. 7. c. cxxx.] London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1909, shall cease to have effect as from the appointed day, and Regulation one of the Defence (General) Regulations, 1939 (which, so far as still in force, relates to false alarms of fire) is hereby revoked.

The Secretary of State may hold a public local inquiry into the manner in which any fire authority are performing their functions under this Act, or into the circumstances of, or the steps taken to deal with, any particular outbreak of fire.

Subsections (2), (3) and (5) of section two hundred and ninety of the Local Government Act, 1933 (which relate to evidence at local enquiries and to the making of orders as to payment of the costs incurred thereat by local authorities) shall apply to any inquiry held in pursuance of this Act.

All expenses incurred by the Secretary of State by virtue of this Act shall be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament.

Any receipts of the Secretary of State under this Act shall be paid into the Exchequer.

Any regulations of the Secretary of State under this Act, and any order of the Secretary of State under section eleven or twenty-six thereof, shall be laid before Parliament forthwith after being made.

If either House of Parliament, within a period of forty days beginning with the day on which any such regulations or order as aforesaid are laid before it, resolves that an Address be presented to His Majesty praying that the regulations or order be annulled, no further proceedings shall be taken thereunder after the date of the resolution, and His Majesty may by Order in Council revoke the regulations or order, so, however, that any such resolution and revocation shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under the regulations or order or to the making of new regulations or a new order.

In reckoning any such period of forty days as aforesaid, no account shall be taken of any time during which Parliament is dissolved or prorogued, or during which both Houses are adjourned for more than four days,

The provisions of this section shall have effect for the purpose of the application of this Act to Scotland.

For any reference to the Minister of Health there shall be substituted a reference to the Secretary of State; for any reference to a county borough there shall be substituted a reference to a large burgh within the meaning of the [10 & 11 Geo. 6. c. 43.] Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1947, and any other burgh shall be deemed to be included within the county in which it is situate; the expressions " county " and " council " mean, in relation to counties combined for the purposes mentioned in subsection (1) of section one hundred and eighteen of the last mentioned Act, the combined county and the joint county council; for any reference to a county district there shall be substituted a reference to a small burgh within the meaning of the last mentioned Act; for any reference to a combination scheme there shall be substituted a reference to an administration scheme; for any reference to statutory water undertakers there shall be substituted a reference to a local water authority within the meaning of the [9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. 42.] Water (Scotland) Act, 1946; for references to the Water Act, 1945, and to sections thirty-two to thirty-four and thirty-six of the Third Schedule thereto there shall be respectively substituted references to- the Water (Scotland) Act, 1946, and to sections nineteen to twenty-one and twenty-three of the Fourth Schedule thereto; for any reference to the Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) Act, 1946, there shall be substituted a reference to the [10 & 11 Geo. 6. c. 42.] Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) (Scotland) Act, 1947; for any reference, in relation to a fire brigade, to the chief officer, there shall be substituted a reference to the firemaster; and any reference to a fire authority shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as including a reference to a joint committee constituted in pursuance of the provisions hereinafter contained.

It shall be the duty of the councils of the counties and large burghs comprised in any one of the areas set forth in the Fourth Schedule to this Act to prepare and submit to the Secretary of State, before the first day of January nineteen hundred and forty-eight or such later date as the Secretary of State may in special circumstances allow, a scheme (hereinafter referred to as an " administration scheme ") for the provision in that area of the services required by section one of this Act, and the Secretary of State may by order approve any scheme so submitted to him.

If the councils of the counties and large burghs comprised in any one of the areas set forth in the Fourth Schedule to this Act fail to submit within the time limited by subsection (3) of this section an administration scheme for that area satisfactory to the Secretary of State, he may by order make a scheme therefor and the foregoing provisions of this section shall apply to any such scheme as they apply to schemes made under those provisions:

Provided that before making any such scheme the Secretary of State shall give to the councils concerned notice of the general nature of the proposed scheme, and unless those councils intimate their assent thereto, the Secretary of State shall publish in one or more newspapers circulating in the areas of the councils a notice of the general nature of the scheme, and shall cause a public local inquiry to be held by a person appointed by him, not being an officer of a fire authority or of any Government department.

An administration scheme made under subsection (3) or subsection (6) of this section may be amended or revoked by a subsequent scheme made under either of those subsections and the provisions of those subsections shall apply to any such amending or revoking scheme subject to any necessary modifications.

The Secretary of State may after consultation with the fire authorities concerned by order provide for the incorporation of a joint committee with a common seal and for conferring on such a committee power to hold land or to borrow money.

A fire authority and a joint committee which has power to borrow money by virtue of an order made under subsection (9) of this section may, subject to the provisions of Part XII of the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1947, borrow such sums as may be required for the purposes of their functions under this Act to meet expenditure of a capital nature or the cost of executing any work, or providing any plant or equipment or doing any other thing where, having regard to the nature of the work, plant, equipment or thing, the cost ought to be spread over a period of years:

Provided that nothing in this subsection shall authorise the exercise of the power of borrowing money thereby conferred otherwise than in compliance with the provisions of the [8 & 9 Geo. 6. c. 18.] Local Authorities Loans Act, 1945, of any Defence Regulation within the meaning of the [8 & 9 Geo. 6. c. 10.] Supplies and Services (Transitional Powers) Act, 1945, for the time being having effect by virtue of that Act, and of any orders for the time being in force made by the Treasury under section one of the [9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. 58.] Borrowing (Control and Guarantees) Act, 1946.

A joint committee which has power to borrow money by virtue of an order under subsection (9) of this section shall, for the purposes of the Local Authorities Loans Act, 1945, be deemed to be a local authority.

For the purposes of section nine of the Superannuation Act, 1935 (which makes provision for civil servants entering the service of a local authority and officers of a local authority becoming civil servants) a joint committee shall be deemed to be a local authority.

For the purposes of the [1 Edw. 8. & 1 Geo. 6. c. 69.] Local Government Superannuation (Scotland) Act, 1937, the appropriate superannuation fund in relation to the contributory employees of a joint committee shall be the superannuation fund of such one of the councils of the counties and burghs comprised in the area of the joint committee as may be determined by or under the administration scheme.

Section one of this Act shall have effect as if for subsection (2) thereof the following subsection were substituted:—

For section four of this Act there shall be substituted the following section—

Section eleven of this Act shall have effect as if for references to such a local authority and such a fire authority as are therein mentioned there were respectively substituted references to the council of a county or burgh comprised in any area for which a joint committee is appointed and to that joint committee.

Section twenty-five of this Act shall have effect as if for subsection (1) there were substituted the following subsection:—

There shall be appointed a separate Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council for Scotland to be called the Scottish Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council, and the provisions of this Act with regard to the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council shall apply to the said Scottish Council.

The provisions of the Second Schedule to the [9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. 71.] Police (Scotland) Act, 1946, shall, with the substitution of a reference to a fire authority for any reference to a police authority and with any other necessary modifications, apply to any inquiry which the Secretary of State is under this Act required or authorised to hold.

A fire authority and a joint committee which has power to hold land by virtue of ah order under subsection (9) of this section, may, with the consent of -the Secretary of State, sell or otherwise dispose of any land vested in them and, no longer required by them.

In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say:—

• " appointed day " means such day as the Secretary of State may by order appoint;

• " chief officer of police ", " police area ", " police authority " and " police force " have the same meanings respectively as in the Police Pensions Act, 1921;

• " equipment " includes fire engines and other vehicles and appliances and other apparatus, and also uniforms and badges of rank;

• " fire authority " means an authority which for the time being is constituted a fire authority by this Act or any combination scheme made thereunder;

• " fire-fighting purposes " means the purposes of the extinction of fires and the protection of life and property in case of fire;

• " street " includes any highway, including a highway over any bridge and any road, lane, footway, square, court, alley or passage whether a thoroughfare or not.

References in this Act to any enactment shall be construed as references to that enactment as amended by or under any other enactment.

References in this Act to a fire authority under the Fire Brigades Act, 1938, and to a fire brigade maintained in pursuance of that Act respectively include references to the London County Council and the London Fire Brigade.

This Act may be cited as the Fire Services Act, 1947

This Act shall not extend to Northern Ireland.

The transitional provisions specified in the Fifth Schedule to this Act shall have effect in relation to the matters specified in that Schedule.

As from the appointed day the enactments specified in the Sixth Schedule to this Act are hereby repealed to the extent specified in the third column of that Schedule.