Rights of Entry (Gas and Electricity Boards) Act 1954

3 Interpretation.

(1) In this Act the following expressions have the meanings hereby assigned to them respectively, that is to say,—

• " Electricity Board " has the same meaning as in the Electricity Act, 1947;

• " employee ", in relation to a Gas Board or an Electricity Board, means an officer, servant or agent of the Board;

• " enactment " includes a local enactment;

• " Gas Board " means an Area Board within the meaning of the Gas Act, 1948;

• " local enactment " means a local or private Act, or an order made under, or confirmed by, an Act (whether a public general Act or a local or private Act);

• " premises " means a building or a part of a building;

• " right of entry " includes a power of entry.

(2) In this Act—

(a) references to a person lawfully requiring entry to premises in the exercise of a right of entry to which this Act applies are references to a person seeking admission to those premises by virtue of that right and in accordance with the requirements (if any) of the relevant enactment; and

(b) references to the relevant enactment, in relation to a right of entry, are references to the enactment conferring that right, and references to the requirements of the relevant enactment are references to any requirements of that enactment as to the giving of notices or the taking of any other step before, or at the time of, the exercise of the right.

(3) References in this Act to a case of emergency are references to a case in which a person lawfully requiring entry to the premises in question, in the exercise of a right of entry to which this Act applies, has reasonable cause to believe that circumstances exist which are likely to endanger life or property, and that immediate entry to the premises is necessary to verify the existence of those circumstances or to ascertain their cause or to effect a remedy.