§ '1. — (1) Section 3 of the Special Constables Act 1923 (appointment of persons nominated by Defence Council to be special constables in certain places, in particular in and within 15 miles of premises in possession or under control of Defence Council) shall have effect as if all premises falling within subparagraph (2) were premises under the control of the Defence Council.
§ (2) The premises are those in Great Britain which fulfil the following conditions:—
- (a) they constitute or fall within property, rights or liabilities which have at some time been the subject of a transfer by virtue of a provision made under section 1(1)(a),
- (b) they are in the occupation or under the control of a successor company (whether or not they fall within property, rights or liabilities vested in the company by virtue of a scheme), and
- (c) they are used for the purposes of, or for purposes which include, the making or development of ordnance.
§ 2.—(1) For the purposes of section 2 of the Metropolitan Police Act 1860 (which limits the use of the powers of special constables to property of the Crown in certain circumstances) property of a successor company shall be deemed to be property of the Crown.
571§ (2) For the purposes of sub—paragraph (1), property of a successor company includes—
- (a) property which (though not owned by it) is in its possession or under its control and property which has been unlawfully removed from its possession or control;
- (b) property whether or not acquired by the company under a scheme.
§ 3. — (1) A person authorised under the enactments mentioned in this Schedule to be a special constable in premises falling within paragraph 1(2) may, within the limits for which he is constable, stop, search and detain any vessel, boat or vehicle in or on which there is reason to suspect that there may be found a successor company's goods stolen or unlawfully obtained, or any person reasonably suspected of having or conveying in any manner a successor company's goods stolen or unlawfully obtained.
§ (2) References in sub-paragraph (1) to a successor company's goods are to goods belonging to it or in its possession (whether or not acquired by it under a scheme).
§ 4. If immediately before premises fall within paragraph 1(2) a person who was appointed to be a special constable on the Defence Council's nomination has functions under the enactments mentioned in this Schedule, he shall without being further appointed or sworn in have those functions within premises and limits for which special constables may be appointed by virtue of this Schedule.
§ 5. In this Schedule "successor company" means a company in which any property, right or liability has vested by virtue of a provision made under section 1(1).'—[Mr. Lee.]
§ Brought up, read the First and Second time, and added to the Bill.