15(1)The provisions of the Police Act, 1946, as to the transfer of property, rights and liabilities from the council of an area ceasing to be a separate police area to the council of a county or to a combined police authority shall apply, and be deemed always to have applied, to property, rights and liabilities of the first-mentioned council held or incurred in connection with pensions', allowances or gratuities—
(a)in respect of whole-time service for fire-fighting purposes in the police force of the said area, and
(b)in respect of service for such purposes (whether before or after the said area ceased to be a separate police area) falling by virtue of regulations made under the Fire Services (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1941, to be treated for the purposes of the Police Pensions Act, 1921, as service in the said police force.
(2)The said provisions of the Police Act, 1946, shall not apply, and shall be deemed never to have applied, to any other property, rights or liabilities held or incurred in connection with the provision of fire services.
(3)Without prejudice to the generality of sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph, the provisions of sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 3 of the Third Schedule to the said Act of 1946 as to the treatment of pensions, allowances and gratuities granted before the date of transfer in respect of members of a transferred force shall apply, and be deemed always to have applied, to pensions, allowances and gratuities granted before that date to members of the National Fire Service whose service therein fell by virtue of regulations made under the said Act of 1941 to be treated as service in the transferred force.
16(1)Where section one of the Police and Firemen (War Service) Act, 1939, applied to a constable by reason of his having ceased to serve as a member of a fire brigade maintained in pursuance of the Fire Brigades Act, 1938—
(a)engagement in service on the National Fire Service, whether before or after the passing of this Act, shall be treated for the purposes of the Police and Firemen (War Service) Acts, 1939 and 1944, as resumption of service as a constable ;
(b)if he is, or was before the passing of this Act, prevented as mentioned in those Acts from engaging in service in the National Fire Service or a fire brigade maintained in pursuance of this Act, he shall be treated for the purposes of those Acts as having been so prevented from resuming service as a constable.
(2)Nothing in the last foregoing sub-paragraph shall be construed as prejudicing the power of the Secretary of State under subsection (3) of section six of the [7 & 8 Geo. 6. c. 22.] Police and Firemen (War Service) Act, 1944, to declare what during the existence of the National Fire Service is to be treated for the purposes of the said Acts of 1939 and 1944 as resuming service as a fireman.