Fire Services Act 1947

20 Fire brigade committees in counties.

(1) Every fire authority (other than the London County Council) which is the council of a county shall constitute a fire brigade committee in accordance with the following provisions of this section, and—

(a) shall refer to the fire brigade committee for report and recommendation all matters relating to the authority's functions under this Act, except such matters as the authority may with the approval of the Secretary of State determine, and shall unless in their opinion the case is urgent receive and consider the report of the committee with respect to any matters referred to the committee before taking action in relation to those matters;

(b) may delegate to the fire brigade committee, either with or without conditions or restrictions, any of the authority's functions under this Act other than powers of raising a rate or borrowing money.

(2) 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.

(3) 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.

(4) 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.

(5) 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.

(6) 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.

(7) If as respects the area of any fire authority such as is mentioned in subsection (1) of this section—

(a) before the expiration of three months from the appointed day, or such later date as the Secretary of State may in special circumstances allow, no management scheme has been submitted to the Secretary of State, or

(b) at any time it appears to the Secretary of State, whether on the representations of the council of any county district comprised in the area of the fire authority or otherwise, that the management scheme in force is not satisfactory,

the Secretary of State may, after affording to the fire authority and to every such council as aforesaid an opportunity of making representations to him, make a scheme.

(8) 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.

(9) The foregoing provisions of this section shall, subject to the provisions of the Second Schedule to this Act, apply to a fire authority—

(a) which is constituted by a combination scheme,

(b) the area of which includes one or more counties, other than the County of London,

as they apply to such authorities as are mentioned in subsection (1) of this section.