Civil Defence Act 1948

1 Civil defence functions of Ministers

(1) It shall be part of the functions of the designated Minister to take such steps as appear to him from time to time to be necessary or expedient for civil defence purposes, and, in particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the preceding words, such steps as appear to him from time to time to be necessary or expedient in connection with any of the following matters, that is to say—

(a) the organisation, formation, maintenance, equipment and training of civil defence forces and services;

(b) the organisation, equipment and training for civil defence purposes of police forces, fire brigades and employees of local or police authorities employed primarily for purposes other than civil defence purposes;

(c) the instruction of members of the public in civil defence and their equipment for the purposes of civil defence;

(d) the provision, storage and maintenance of commodities and things required for civil defence; and

(e) the provision, construction, maintenance or alteration of premises, structures or excavations required for civil defence and the doing of any other work required for civil defence.

(2) The designated Minister may make arrangements whereby any of his functions under this section are, to such extent as may be provided by the arrangements, exercised on his behalf by another Minister.