17(1)Regulations may provide for authorising the taking before the appointed day by councils of counties and county boroughs and other authorities which on the appointed day will become fire authorities of such steps as appear to the Secretary of State to be requisite for the purpose of enabling fire authorities to perform their functions under this Act on or after that day.
(2)Without prejudice to the provisions of the last foregoing paragraph, a combination scheme may be made before the appointed day, but so as to come into operation on or after that day, or, if the scheme is made by virtue of section ten of this Act, on or after the appointed day or the date mentioned in that section, whichever is the later.
(3)In relation to a combination scheme made by virtue of the last foregoing sub-paragraph, references in sections five, six, nine and ten of this Act to fire authorities (other than references to the fire authority constituted by the scheme) shall be construed as references to authorities which apart from the scheme would on the appointed day become fire authorities.
(4)Notwithstanding anything in the provisions of the last foregoing sub-paragraph or in section ten of this Act, a combination scheme made by virtue thereof may come into operation earlier than would be permissible under those provisions, in so far as is requisite for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph.