Civil Defence Act 1939

64 Compulsory hiring of land.

(1) The council of any county or county borough, the common council of the city of London, and the council of any metropolitan borough or county district may hire compulsorily any land to which this section applies for any of the purposes of the Act of 1937 or of this Act by means of an order made by the council and confirmed by the Minister, and the provisions of the enactments having effect with respect to the compulsory acquisition of land by any such council as aforesaid for the purposes of their civil defence functions (including any such enactments contained in this Act) shall, with such exceptions and subject to such adaptations and modifications as may be prescribed by regulations of the Minister under this section, have effect with respect to the compulsory hiring of land by means of such an order.

(2) The Minister shall make regulations for the purposes of this section and any such regulations may, in addition to prescribing the matters aforesaid, contain such provisions as the Minister considers necessary or expedient in connection with the making of any such orders or the carrying thereof into effect.

(3) Land to which this section applies is unoccupied land and land in the occupation of a tenant whose tenancy thereof will expire or can be determined by his landlord (otherwise than for breach of any of the conditions of the tenancy) within a period of three years after the making of an order for the compulsory hiring of that land pursuant to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section.

(4) Any reference in this section to land includes a reference to any building or part of a building.