Citation, commencement and application

1.-(1) This Order may be cited as the Local Government Act 1988 (Defined Activities) (Exemptions) (Combined Fire Authorities Etc.) Order 1998 and shall come into force on 2nd July 1998.

(2) Articles 3(2) and 4 of this Order apply to defined authorities in England only.

Interpretation

2. In this Order, "combined fire authority" means a fire authority constituted by a combination scheme.(3)

Amendments of Order

3.-(1) In article 3 of the Local Government Act 1988 (Defined Activities) (Exemptions) (England and Wales) Order 1996(4)-

(a)in paragraphs (2), (3) and (4), after "for a police authority" insert "or a combined fire authority"; and

(b)in paragraph (5),

(i)after the definition of "gross annual cost" omit "and";

(ii)at the end of the definition of "police authority" add-

"; and

"combined fire authority" means a fire authority constituted by a combination scheme".

(2) In article 4 of that Order, in paragraph (2), in the definition of "relevant date"-

(a)in sub-paragraph (b), omit "and"; and

(b)at the end of that definition, insert-

"and

(d)in the case of a relevant order which takes effect in relation to that council on 1st April 1998, 1st April 2000;".

Exemptions of defined activities carried out by combined fire authorities

4.-(1) The legal services(5) work and the construction and property services(6) work of a combined fire authority which is established on a date specified in column A below ("the establishment date") shall not be treated as defined activities, so long as they are carried out during the period beginning with the date on which this Order comes into force and ending on the date specified in relation to that establishment date in column B below-

(2) The financial services(7) work of a combined fire authority which is established on a date specified in column A below ("the establishment date") shall not be treated as a defined activity, so long as it is carried out during the period beginning with the date on which this order comes into force and ending on the date specified in relation to that establishment date in column B below-

(3) The information and technology services(8) work of a combined fire authority which is established on a date specified in column A below ("the establishment date") shall not be treated as a defined activity, so long as it is carried out during the period beginning with the date on which this order comes into force and ending on the date specified in relation to that establishment date in column B below-

(4) The personnel services(9) of a combined fire authority which is established on a date specified in column A below ("the establishment date") shall not be treated as a defined activity, so long as it is carried out during the period beginning with the date on which this order comes into force and ending on the date specified in relation to that establishment date in column B below-

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the Local Government Act 1988 (Defined Activities) (Exemptions) (England and Wales) Order 1996 (S.I. 1996/770) made under Part I (competition) of the Local Government Act 1988. Article 3(1) amends article 3 (exemption for work carried out under certain works contracts) of that Order so as to extend the de minimis threshold to fire authorities constituted by combination schemes ("combined fire authorities") in both England and Wales. Article 3(2), which applies to defined authorities in England only, amends article 4 (works contracts: local government reorganisation) of that Order so as to add a further implementation date of 1st April 2000 for county councils reorganising on 1st April 1998.

By virtue of article 4, which applies to defined authorities in England only, this Order also exempts from the requirements of Part I the activities of legal services and construction and property services (paragraph (1)); financial services (paragraph (2)); information technology services (paragraph (3)); and personnel services (paragraph (4)), so long as these are carried out by a combined fire authority which is established on one of the dates specified in column A in each respective paragraph, during the period beginning with the date on which this Order comes into effect, and ending on a date which is specified in column B in each respective paragraph. This brings combined fire authorities into line with the timetable for compulsory competitive tendering of professional services for reorganising local authorities.