2(1)There shall be a vice-chairman of the Authority who shall be appointed by the members from among the members holding office under subsection (1)(b) or (c) of section 4 (Constitution of Authority) or section 10 (Casual vacancies) of this Act.
(2)The first vice-chairman taking office after the new constitution date shall be appointed as soon as practicable after the new constitution date.
(3)Subject to sub-paragraph (4) below, every vice-chairman appointed under sub-paragraph (1) above shall, unless he resigns his office as vice-chairman or ceases to be a member, hold office for a period of three years.
(4)If those of the members who are appointed under subsection (1)(b) or (c) of section 4 (Constitution of Authority) or section 10 (Casual vacancies) of this Act are satisfied that the vice-chairman should cease to hold his office as such, they may—
(a)terminate his office as such; and
(b)appoint another member to be vice-chairman during the remainder of the term for which the former vice-chairman was appointed.
(5)On a casual vacancy occurring in the office of chairman of the Authority, the vacancy shall be filled by the appointment by the Secretary of State, of an acting chairman, from among the members of the Authority, and the acting chairman shall hold office until a chairman is appointed by the Secretary of State.
(6)A member appointed under sub-paragraph (5) above to fill a casual vacancy in the office of chairman shall, unless he resigns that office or ceases to be a member, hold that office during the remainder of the term for which the chairman whom he replaces was appointed.
(7)In the absence of the chairman, or as the case may be, the acting chairman, the person for the time being holding office as vice-chairman shall have and may exercise all the powers of the chairman or the acting chairman.
(8)If at a meeting of the Authority neither the chairman nor the vice-chairman is present the members present shall choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.