In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
"authorised officer", in relation to a local authority, means—
an officer of the authority authorised by them in writing, either generally or specially, to act in matters of a specified kind or in a specified matter, or
by virtue of his appointment and for the purpose of matters within his province, a proper officer of the authority, appointed for purposes corresponding to any of those of the former medical officers of health, surveyors and sanitary inspectors ;
" coastal waters " means waters within a distance of three nautical miles from any point on the coast measured from low-water mark of ordinary spring tides;
"common lodging-house" means a house (other than a public assistance institution) provided for the purpose of accommodating by night poor persons, not being members of the same family, who resort to it and are allowed to occupy one common room for the purpose of sleeping or eating, and, where part only of a house is so used, includes the part so used ; " district", in relation to a local authority in Greater London, means a London borough, the City of London, the Inner Temple or the Middle Temple;
" dustbin " means a movable receptacle for the deposit of ashes or refuse;
" factory " has the meaning given by section 175 of the [1961 c. 34.] Factories Act 1961;
" functions " includes powers and duties ;
" hospital" includes any premises for the reception of the sick;
" house " means a dwelling-house, whether a private dwelling-house or not;
"inland waters" includes rivers, harbours and creeks;
" local Act " includes a provisional order confirmed by Parliament and the confirming Act so far as it relates to that order;
" local authority " has the meaning given by section 1(2) above;
" London port health authority " and " London port health district " have the meanings given by section 7 above ;
" notifiable disease " has the meaning given by section 10 above;
" officer " includes servant;
" owner " means the person for the time being receiving the rackrent of the premises in connection with which the word is used, whether on his own account or as agent or trustee for any other person, or who would so receive the rackrent if those premises were let at a rackrent;
" port" has the meaning given by section 2(1) above;
" Port of London" has the meaning given by section 6 above;
" premises" includes buildings, lands, easements and hereditaments of any tenure ;
" proper officer " means, in relation to a purpose and to an authority, an officer appointed for that purpose by that authority;
" rackrent" in relation to any property means a rent which is not less than two-thirds of the rent at which the property might reasonably be expected to let from year to year, free from all usual tenant's rates and taxes, and deducting from it the probable average annual cost of the repairs, insurance and other expenses (if any) necessary to maintain the property in a state to command such a rent;
" rating district " has the meaning given by section 115(1) of the [1967 c. 9.] General Rate Act 1967 ;
" relevant provision of this Act" means a provision of this Act other than section 46 ;
" riparian authority " has the meaning given by section 2(2) above;
" school " includes a Sunday school or a Sabbath school;
" standard scale " has the meaning given by section 75 of the [1982 c. 48.] Criminal Justice Act 1982 ;
" 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;
" vessel" has the same meaning as in the [1894 c. 60.] Merchant Shipping Act 1894 except that it includes a hovercraft within the meaning of the [1968 c. 59.] Hovercraft Act 1968, and " master " shall be construed accordingly.