3(1)Subject to the provisions of this paragraph the members of the Authority shall be—
(a)not less than five nor more than eight persons appointed under this sub-paragraph by the sheriff principal, after such consultations as he may consider to be appropriate, from persons who appear to him to have knowledge or experience relevant to the discharge of the functions of the Authority; and
(b)two members of the Council appointed under this sub-paragraph by the Council.
(2)Neither the sheriff principal nor the Council shall appoint a person under sub-paragraph (1) above whom he or it believes to be a person involved in the Harris Tweed industry or to have an interest (whether or not financial) likely to affect prejudicially his performance as a member of the Authority.
4A person whom the sheriff principal or the Council is considering whether to appoint as a member of the Authority under paragraph 3 above shall if requested to do so by the sheriff principal or (as the case may be) by the Council, furnish the sheriff principal or the Council with such information as he or it may regard as necessary for the purposes of that consideration and unreasonable failure to furnish the sheriff principal or the Council with the information requested shall render the person ineligible for appointment.
5Subject to the provisions of this paragraph and of paragraphs 6, 8 (3) and 9 below, each member of the Authority appointed by the sheriff principal under paragraph 3 (1) (a) above—
(a)shall hold office for such period and in accordance with such conditions as shall be specified in a notice of appointment issued by the sheriff principal to that member;
(b)may, by written notice to the sheriff principal, resign his membership; and
(c)shall be eligible for reappointment as a member of the Authority at the expiry of the period of his appointment.
6The sheriff principal may remove from office any member appointed by him under paragraph 3 (1) (a) above if satisfied that—
(a)his estate has been sequestrated, or he has been adjudged bankrupt, or he has granted a trust deed for his creditors or entered into a composition contract, or he has made an arrangement with his creditors;
(b)he is incapacitated by physical or mental illness;
(c)he has been absent from three consecutive meetings of the Authority without the Authority’s permission;
(d)he has become ineligible for appointment on either of the grounds mentioned in paragraph 3 (2) above; or
(e)he is otherwise unable or unfit to discharge his functions as a member or is unsuitable to continue as a member.
7Each member of the Authority appointed by the Council under paragraph 3 (1) (b) above—
(a)shall cease to hold office when he retires at the end of his term of office as a councillor under the provisions of section 4 (3) of the [1973 c. 65.] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 or otherwise ceases to be a councillor unless, in the case of a councillor retiring on the day of the ordinary election of councillors, he is re-elected as a councillor at that election;
(b)may, by written notice to the Council, resign his membership of the Authority; and
(c)shall cease to hold office if at any time the Council chooses under paragraph 3 (1) (b) above to appoint another of its members to be a member of the Authority in his stead.