Agricultural Marketing Act (Northern Ireland) 1964

3 Constitution of boards to administer schemes. N.I.

(1) Every scheme shall constitute a board to administer the scheme and during such period (not being longer than twelve months from the day on which the scheme comes into force) as may be specified in the scheme, the board shall, subject to the provisions of the scheme as to the filling of casual vacancies, be composed of persons to be named in the scheme.

(2) After the expiration of the said period, the board shall be composed of such number of members as the scheme may fix, of whom three shall be appointed by the Minister of Agriculture (in this Act referred to as “the Minister” ) and the others shall, subject to the provisions of the scheme as to the filling of casual vacancies, be elected in accordance with the scheme, either by registered producers or by a body or bodies elected by such producers in accordance with the scheme.

(3) The board shall elect from among their members a chairman and vice-chairman who shall hold office for such period as may be specified in the scheme, but during a period of two years (or such longer period as may be provided by the scheme) from the date of the coming into force of the scheme the chairman of the board shall be such member thereof as the Minister may designate.

(4) When the members of the board as fixed by a scheme exceed eleven in number, the board shall appoint an executive committee having the full powers of the board for the administration of the said scheme.

(5) An executive committee appointed under subsection (4) shall consist of not more than eleven members of the board and the chairman and the vice-chairman of the board (whether being members appointed by the Minister or not), and also any members of the board appointed by the Minister and not being such chairman or vice-chairman, shall be included in the committee as chairman, vice-chairman and members.

(6) Every scheme shall provide for the conducting by the Ministry of the election of the members of the board who are to be elected, the term during which those members are to hold office, the filling of casual vacancies arising during such term of office, and the resignation of office by any such member.

(7) Except as may be otherwise stated in the instrument of appointment, a member appointed by the Minister otherwise than to fill a casual vacancy shall, unless he sooner ceases to be a member during his term of office, hold office for three years from the date of his appointment and shall be eligible for re-appointment.

(8) If a casual vacancy occurs amongst the members appointed by the Minister, the Minister shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy and such person shall hold office for the remainder of the period for which his predecessor, if he had continued to be a member, would have held office, and shall be eligible for re-appointment.

(9) Notwithstanding anything in this section, provision may be made by a scheme for the board acting notwithstanding any vacancy in the membership thereof.

(10) The provisions contained in Schedule 2 shall apply with respect to the incorporation, registration and winding up of any board constituted by a scheme.