1.—(1) Subject to this Schedule, the authority shall consist of the following persons appointed by the Head of the Department, namely;
(a)a Chairman.
(b)a Vice-Chairman, and
(c)fifteen other members.
[F1(2) Of the other members a minimum of eight shall be members of district councils appointed after consultation with such district councils and such associations or bodies representative of councils as appear to the Department to be desirable.]
(4) A member of the Authority shall hold office for such period, not exceeding 4 years, as the Head of the Department shall specify upon appointing him.
Para. 2 rep. by 1998 NI 11
3.—(1) In appointing a person to fill a casual vacancy occurring in the membership of the Authority, the Head of the Department shall where the member being[F2 replaced was appointed after such consultation as is mentioned in paragraph 1(2), appoint a person after further such consultation].
(2) A casual vacancy shall be filled within 3 months after the occurrence of the vacancy or within such further time as the Department may allow.
4. The Authority may pay to its Chairman, Vice-Chairman and other members such remuneration and such other allowances as the Department may, with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnel, determine.
5. A member of the Authority may resign his membership by giving notice in writing to[F3 the Head of the Department].
6. Where any member of the Authority is absent from the meetings thereof for more than 6 months consecutively (except for a reason approved by the Head of the Department) or becomes bankrupt or makes a composition with his creditors or is convicted of an indictable offence, the Authority shall forthwith by resolution declare the office to be vacant and shall notify that fact to the Head of the DepartmentF4. . . and thereupon the office shall become vacant.
7. The Head of the Department may, by notice in writing addressed to a member, terminate his appointment as a member of the Authority if of the opinion that he is unfit to continue in office or incapable of performing his duties as a member.
8.—(1) A member of the Authority who is concerned, by himself or his partner or through any company of which he is a director or with the management of which he is associated in any similar capacity, in any contract or bargain entered into with the Authority, or who participates by himself or his partner or through such company in the profit of any such contract or bargain or in any work done in pursuance thereof, shall become permanently disqualified from membership of the Authority unless—
(a)before the contract or bargain is entered into he makes full disclosure of any such interest as aforesaid; and
(b)he abstains from voting upon any matter connected therewith.
(2) A general notice given to the Authority by a member to the effect that he is a member or associated with the management of a specified company or firm and is to be regarded as interested in any contract or bargain which may, after the date of the notice, be entered into with that company or firm shall be deemed to be a full disclosure within the meaning of this paragraph in relation to any contract or bargain so entered into.
9. A person who is a member of the Authority or a partner in business of that person or a director of any company of which that person is a director, shall not be appointed to any office or place of profit nor be engaged in any remunerative employment by or under the Authority during the continuance or within 6 months after the determination of the membership of that person.
10. A member of the Authority on vacating his office at the expiration of the term thereof shall, subject to paragraph 8, be eligible for re-appointment.