Section 3: Creation of combined fire and rescue authorities: supplementary, Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004

A combined fire and rescue authority constituted under a scheme under section 2 must be constituted as a body corporate.

A scheme under section 2 may, subject to this section, make any supplementary and incidental provision which the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

In particular, a scheme under section 2 may make provision about—

the composition of the combined authority (including provision for the appointment of members by the existing authorities or by the Secretary of State , by the Secretary of State or, in the case of a combined authority for an area which is wholly within England, by the combined authority );

the proceedings of the combined authority (including different provision in respect of the voting rights of different categories of member);

the financing of the combined authority (including provision for the payment of expenses out of a combined fire and rescue service fund maintained by the existing authorities);

the discharge of the functions of the combined authority (including provision for the discharge of functions by committees);

officers of the combined authority;

the acquisition, appropriation and disposal of land by the combined authority (including provision for the acquisition of land by agreement or compulsorily);

the transfer of staff, property, rights and liabilities to or from the combined authority;

the payment of compensation in respect of loss suffered by any person in consequence of the constitution of the combined authority.

A scheme under section 2 may not make provision for the appointment by the Secretary of State of a number of members equal to, or exceeding, half the total number of members capable of being appointed.

If a scheme under section 2 provides for members of a combined authority to be appointed by the Secretary of State, it must also provide that any decision of the authority to—

issue a precept under section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (c. 14), or

make the calculations required by section 43 of that Act,

must be approved by more than half of the members of the authority not appointed by the Secretary of State.

The following provisions apply if a scheme under section 2 provides for members of a combined authority to be appointed by the authority.

The scheme must provide that a relevant police and crime commissioner may only be appointed as a member of the authority in response to a request by the commissioner.

The scheme must provide that, if such a request is made to the authority, the authority must—

consider the request,

give reasons for its decision to agree to or refuse the request, and

publish those reasons in such manner as it thinks appropriate.

In this section "relevant police and crime commissioner", in relation to a combined authority, means a police and crime commissioner—

whose area is the same as, or contains all of, the area of the authority, or

all or part of whose area falls within the area of the authority.

Section 3: Creation of combined fire and rescue authorities: supplementary

Discussed in

About this text