Section 1 Preliminary.

This Act applies to any local authority within the meaning of the M1Civil Defence Act 1948 on whom any functions are for the time being conferred under section 2 (civil defence functions) of that Act F1including, by virtue of section 4A of that Act, any two or more local authorities jointly and a joint board and joint committee; and in the following provisions of this Act “local authority” means a local authority or, as the case may be, the local authorities, joint board or joint committee to whom this Act applies.

In this Act—

• “civil defence” has the same meaning as in the Civil Defence Act 1948;

• “civil defence functions”, in relation to a local authority, means all such functions as are for the time being conferred on the authority under section 2 of the Civil Defence Act 1948;

• “civil defence resources”, in relation to a local authority, means all the resuources maintained, provided, used or held by the authority of civil defence purposes, including personnel (whether employees or volunteers), premises, equipment, services and facilities.