Part 2Appointment, functions, and powers of persons involved in civil defence emergency management
Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups
22Membership rules in event of local government reorganisations
This section applies to local authorities affected by a local government reorganisation that—
- creates new regional councils or unitary authorities; or
- redraws boundaries between regional councils or unitary authorities, or between regional councils and unitary authorities; or
- extends the area of a territorial authority into the area of another regional council or unitary authority.
If this section applies, then—
- each affected regional council or unitary authority must establish or re-establish, as the case may be, a Civil Defence Emergency Management Group in accordance with this Act within 6 months of the effective date of its reorganisation:
- each territorial authority whose district is completely within the affected regional council or unitary authority must be a member of the Group of which that regional council or unitary authority is a member:
- each territorial authority whose district is in the district of 2 or more affected regional councils or unitary authorities must, after consulting with the relevant regional councils or unitary authorities, join any one, but only 1, of the Groups of which the relevant regional councils or unitary authorities are members:
- each territorial authority whose district is extended into the district of another regional council or unitary authority must, after consulting with the relevant regional councils or unitary authorities, join any one, but only 1, of the Groups of which the relevant regional councils or unitary authorities are members.
A territorial authority's decision to join a particular Group under subsection (2)(c) or (d) is irrevocable, and must be made within 2 months of the establishment of the Group.
If a territorial authority's decision under subsection (2)(c) or (d) is not made before the expiry of the time limit in subsection (3), the Minister must direct the territorial authority to join one of the relevant Groups.
A territorial authority that is subject to a ministerial direction under subsection (4) must comply with that direction.