Civil Defence Act 1948

9 Interpretation, etc.

(1) In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires.—

• " civil defence " does not include the provision or maintenance of a shelter which is used or intended to be used wholly or mainly by naval military or air forces but, save as aforesaid, includes any measures not amounting to actual combat for affording defence against any form of hostile attack by a foreign power or for depriving any form of hostile attack by a foreign power of the whole or part of its effect, whether the measures are taken before, at or after the time of the attack;

• " civil defence forces " and " civil defence services " mean respectively forces and services formed wholly or mainly to meet the needs of civil defence;

• " a civil defence shelter " means any shelter other than a shelter which is used or intended to be used wholly or mainly by naval, military or air forces;

• " fire brigade " means a fire brigade maintained in pursuance of the Fire Services Act, 1947;

• " local authority, " as respects England and Wales, means any authority being, within the meaning of the Local Loans Act, 1875, an authority having power to levy a rate, and, as respects Scotland, has the same meaning as in the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1947, and includes a joint board and joint committee within the meaning of that Act;

• " police force " means any police force maintained for any police area mentioned in the Third Schedule to the Police Pensions Act, 1921, or maintained by virtue of any scheme under the Police Act, 1946, or under the Police (Scotland) Act, 1946;

• " a shelter " means any premises, structure or excavation used or intended to be used to provide shelter from any form of hostile attack by a foreign power;

• " statutory provision " means a provision, whether of a general or a special nature, contained in, or in any document made or issued under, any Act, whether of a general or a special nature.

(2) In this Act, the expression "the designated Minister" means such Minister as may be designated by Order in Council, and different Ministers may be designated for different purposes or different provisions of this Act:

Provided that if and in so far as other provision is not made by Order in Council under this subsection, the said expression means the Secretary of State.

Any Order in Council under this subsection may be revoked or varied by a subsequent Order in Council

(3) Any reference in this Act to the organisation, equipment or training for civil defence purposes of police forces includes a reference to the organisation, equipment and training oi persons who are special constables for the police area in question.