Civil Protection in Peacetime Act 1986
01 January 1991
Civil Protection in Peacetime Act 1986
actdoc July=1991
(NB. Marginal notes are in [...] immediately before the
section to which they refer)
CIVIL PROTECTION IN PEACETIME ACT 1986
An Act to enable local authorities to use their civil defence
resources in connection with emergencies and disasters
unconnected with any form of hostile attack by a foreign
power. [26th June 1986]
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with
the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and
Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the
authority of the same, as follows:-
[Preliminary]
1.-(1) This Act applies to any local authority within the
meaning of the Civil Defence Act 1948 on whom any functions are
for the time being conferred under section 2 (civil defence
functions) of that Act; and in the following provisions of this
Act "localauthority " means a local authority to whom this Act applies.
(2) In this Act-
"civil defence" has the same meaning as in the Civil
Defence
Act 1948;
"civil defence functions", in relation to a local
authority, means all such functions as are for the time
being conferred on the authority under section 2 of the
Civil Defence Act 1948;
"civil defence resources", in relation to a local
authority, means all the resources maintained, provided,
used or held by the authority for civil defence purposes,
including personnel (whether employees or volunteers),
premises, equipment, services and facilities.
[Use of civil defence resources in emergencies or disasters]
2.-(1) Where an emergency or disaster involving destruction
of or danger to life or property occurs or is imminent or there
is reasonable ground for apprehending such an emergency or
disaster, and a local authority are of opinion that it is likely
to affect the whole or part of their area or all or some of its
inhabitants, the authority may use any of their civil defence
resources in taking action (either alone or jointly with any
other person or body and either in their area or elsewhere in or
outside the United Kingdom) which is calculated to avert,
alleviate or eradicate in their area or among its inhabitants the
effects or potential effects of the event, notwithstanding that
the event is unconnected with any form of hostile attack by a
foreign power.
(2) A local authority whose civil defence functions include
the function of making, keeping under review and revising plans
for any matter may perform that function so as to allow for the
possible occurrence of such an emergency or disaster and
facilitate the use of all or any of their civil defence resources
in connection with any such emergency or disaster that may occur
or become imminent or which there may be reasonable ground for
apprehending.
(3) References in the Civil Defence Act 1948 to functions
conferred on a local authority under section 2 of that Act do not
include an, power conferred on them by subsection (1) or (2)
above; but the fact that expenses incurred by a local authority
in or in connection with the discharge of functions conferred on
them under section 2 of that Act are incurred (whether in the
repair or replacement of damaged or expended equipment or
otherwise) in circumstances resulting from the exercise of any
such power shall not prevent those expenses from qualifying for
grant under regulations made under section 3 of that Act.
(4) There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament
any increase attributable to this section in the sums payable out
of money so provided under any other Act.
3.-(1) This Act may be cited as the Civil Protection in
Peacetime Act 1986.
(2) This Act shall come into force at the end of the period
of two months beginning with the day on which it is passed.
(3) This Act does not ex