Section 31: Interpretation

Civil Contingencies Act 2004 · 2004 c. 36View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 2: Emergency powers

In this Part—

  • "British fishery limits" has the meaning given by the Fishery Limits Act 1976 (c. 86),

  • "the continental shelf" means any area designated by Order in Council under section 1(7) of the Continental Shelf Act 1964 (c. 29),

  • "emergency" has the meaning given by section 19,

  • "enactment" includes—

  • "function" means any power or duty whether conferred by virtue of an enactment or otherwise,

  • "Part" in relation to the United Kingdom has the meaning given by subsection (2),

  • "public functions" means—

  • "region" has the meaning given by subsection (2),

  • "senior Minister of the Crown" has the meaning given by section 20(3),

  • "serious delay" has the meaning given by section 20(4),

  • "territorial sea" means the territorial sea adjacent to, or to any Part of, the United Kingdom, construed in accordance with section 1 of the Territorial Sea Act 1987 (c. 49),

  • "terrorism" has the meaning given by section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (c. 11), and

  • "war" includes armed conflict.

In this Part—

"Part" in relation to the United Kingdom means—
England,
Northern Ireland,
Scotland, and
Wales,
"region" means a region for the purposes of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 (c. 45), and
a reference to a Part or region of the United Kingdom includes a reference to—
any part of the territorial sea that is adjacent to that Part or region,
any part of the area within British fishery limits that is adjacent to the Part or region, and
any part of the continental shelf that is adjacent to the Part or region.

The following shall have effect for the purpose of subsection (2)—

an Order in Council under section 126(2) of the Scotland Act 1998 (c. 46) (apportionment of sea areas),
an Order in Council under section 98(8) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (c. 47) (apportionment of sea areas), and
an order under section 155(2) of the Government of Wales Act 1998 (c. 38) (apportionment of sea areas);

but only if or in so far as it is expressed to apply for general or residual purposes of any of those Acts or for the purposes of this section.

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.