Mines and Quarries Act 1954

181 Meaning of " owner "

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, in this Act the expression " owner " means, in relation to a mine or quarry, the person for the time being entitled to work it.

(2) Where the working of a quarry is wholly carried out by a contractor on behalf of the person entitled to work it, the contractor shall, to the exclusion of that person, be taken for the purposes of this Act to be the owner of the quarry.

(3) Where two or more persons are entitled to work a quarry independently, that one of those persons who is the licensor of the others shall, to the exclusion of the others, be taken for the purposes of this Act to be the owner of the quarry.

(4) Where the business of a person who, by virtue of the foregoing provisions of this section is, for the purposes of this Act, to be taken to be owner of a mine or quarry is carried on by a liquidator, receiver or manager, or by some other person authorised to carry it on by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, the liquidator, receiver, manager or other person shall be taken for the purposes of this Act to be an additional owner of the mine or quarry.

(5) This section shall, in its application to Scotland, have effect as if, for subsection (3), there were substituted the following subsection:—

“(3) Where two or more persons are entitled to work a quarry independently, and one of them has granted the right so to do to the other or others, ,that one shall, to the exclusion of the other or others, be taken for the purposes of this Act to be the owner of the quarry.”