Civil Defence Committee Minute books This committee began as the Air Raid Precautions (Executive) committee, after the 1937 ARP Act required county councils to prepare a county civil defence scheme co-ordinate the provision of emergency services. Under the 1948 Civil Defence Act, county and county borough councils were required to co-operate to set up a permanent county-based civil defence system, including the organisation of a division of the Civil Defence Corps (this was disbanded in 1968). Residual functions were undertaken by the Public Protection committee (see 1/70/1). 1938-1968