
1 
These Regulations may be cited as the Combined Fire Authorities (Protection from Personal Liability) (England) Regulations 1997, and shall come into force on 27th December 1997.
2 
In these Regulations “the 1947 Act” means the Fire Services Act 1947, and “combination scheme” means a combination scheme under that Act.
3 

(1) Where, by virtue of section 18(3) of the Local Government Act 1992, an order under section 17 of that Act provides, or has provided—
(a) that, subject to any combination scheme, a district is to become the area of a fire authority for the purposes of the 1947 Act; or
(b) that, for the purposes of the making of any combination scheme, the area of a district is to be treated as an area which would become the area of a fire authority by virtue of the order;
paragraph (2) below shall apply in relation to a combined fire authority constituted by a combination scheme which includes such an area.
(2) A combined fire authority constituted by such a combination scheme shall, for the purposes of section 265 of the Public Health Act 1875 and section 39 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 (protection of members and officers etc. from personal liability), be treated as if it were a local authority.
George Howarth
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Home Office
25th November 1997