§ Power and Description of Default Power
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Representation of the People Act 1983, section 18(5)
Secretary of State may direct district or London borough councils to alter polling arrangements when the council fail to provide polling arrangements to meet the reasonable requirements of electors and may make the alterations himself if the council fail to make them within a month of the directive having been given.
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Representation of the People Act 1949, section 11(4) (as expanded by Local Government Act 1972 schedule 6, paragraph 5(3))
Secretary of State may require any local authority to alter its arrangements for polling in Parliamentary elections or may make such alterations himself.
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Civil Defence Act 1948, section 2(2)(c) (as applied by Civil Defence (General) Regulations 1949, regulation 4)
Secretary of State may, where he is satisfied that a local authority has failed or refused properly to discharge any functions conferred on it, either himself perform those functions or authorise or require some other authority or person to do so (at the expense of the defaulting authority).
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The Police Act 1964, section 14(2)
Secretary of State may, if it appears to him expedient in the interests of public safety order that a police force should be reinforced or receive other assistance to enable it to meet any special demand, or direct the chief officer of another force to provide such assistance as the Secretary of State may specify.
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The Police (Grant) Order 1966 (SI 223), section 2
Secretary of State may withold police grant in whole or in part permanently or for such time as he may determine if he is not satisfied that the Police area is efficiently policed, that adequate co-operation is afforded by the police force to other police forces, that the police service is efficiently and properly maintained, equipped and administered, that the rates of pay and allowances of the force are as prescribed or approved by him, and that any directions given by him under the Police Act 1964 have been complied with.
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Fire Services Act 1947, section 19 (as amended by Fire Services Act 1959 section 7)
Secretary of State has the power to make a new establishment scheme if an authority scheme is unsatisfactory.
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Fire Services Act 1947, section 33 (as expanded by Fire Precautions Act 1971 section 29 and amended by Local Government Act 1972 section 272)
Secretary of State may hold a public local enquiry into the manner in which an authority is discharging its functions under this Act and the Fire Precautions Act 1971, or the steps taken to deal with an individual fire.