1. The Committee shall consist of a chairman appointed by the Minister and the following other members –
(a)five members appointed by the Minister after consultation with such organisations as may be recognised by him as representative of Scheme employers; and
(b)five members appointed by the Minister after consultation with such organisations as may be recognised by him as representative of employees affected by the Regulations.
2.—(1) Subject to the provisions of sub-paragraph (2) and paragraph 5, the term of office of a member of the Committee shall be four years from the date of his appointment.
(2) The Minister may extend the term of office of a member of the Committee by a maximum period of 18 months.
3. The quorum of the Committee shall be six, or such other number as the Committee may, with the approval of the Department, determine.
4. The Committee may act notwithstanding any vacancy in its number so long as the number of vacancies does not exceed the number of remaining members.
5. A casual vacancy occurring in the membership of the Committee shall be filled by the Minister after consultation with the Committee and a person so appointed shall hold office for the residue of the term of the member in whose place he is so appointed.
6. A member of the Committee may resign his membership by giving notice in writing, signed by him, to the Minister.
7. Where any member of the Committee is absent from the meetings thereof for more than six months consecutively (except for a reason approved by the Minister) or becomes bankrupt or makes a composition with his creditors or is convicted of an indictable offence, the Committee shall forthwith by resolution declare the office to be vacant and shall notify that fact in such manner as it thinks fit, and thereupon the office shall become vacant.
8. A member of the Committee on vacating his office at the expiration of the term thereof shall (subject to the foregoing provisions of this Schedule) be eligible for re-appointment.
9. No defect in the appointment of any person acting as a member of the Committee shall vitiate any proceedings of the Committee in which he has taken part.