Agriculture Act 1967

58 The Central Council for Agricultural and Horticultural Co-operation.

(1) There shall be established a body to be called the Central Council for Agricultural and Horticultural Co-operation (in this Part of this Act referred to as "the Council ").

(2) It shall be the function of the Council to organise, promote, encourage, develop and co-ordinate co-operation in agriculture and horticulture, including co-operation and mutual assistance in production, storage, preparation for market, marketing, transport, the provision of buildings, equipment and services for farmers and other producers, research and other incidental activities, and the Council's activities shall include—

(a) the spread of information among producers about the principles and methods of co-operation in the production and marketing of agricultural and horticultural produce, and

(b) research, study and experiments directed to finding and evaluating new or untried ways of applying such principles and methods, and the publication of the results of the research, studies and experiments.

(3) It shall also be the function of the Council to put themselves in a position to advise the Ministers on all matters relating to co-operation in agriculture and horticulture.

(4) The Council shall consist of—

(a) not more than six members appointed by the Ministers, and

(b) eight other members nominated or selected in accordance with subsections (5) and (6) below and appointed by the Ministers.

(5) Subject to subsection (6) below, of the said eight members—

(a) four shall be persons nominated by such organisations as appear to the Ministers appropriate as representing the interests of farmers and other producers in agriculture and horticulture, and

(b) four shall be persons nominated by such organisations as appear to the Ministers appropriate as representing the interests of co-operative associations in agriculture and horticulture,

one of each four being a person nominated as representing interests in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

(6) Where the Ministers invite nominations for the purpose of appointing a person to the Council as representing a particular interest, they may specify a time within which nominations are to be made and may, in default of nominations within that time, themselves select for appointment a person appearing to them qualified to represent that interest; and where a nomination is made, but the Ministers decline to make any appointment thereon, they shall invite further nominations.

(7) The Council shall have a chairman and deputy chairman appointed by the Ministers from among the members of the Council appointed under subsection (4)(a) above.

(8) The Ministers shall—

(a) pay out of money provided by Parliament to the members of the Council such travelling or other allowances as the Ministers, with the approval of the Treasury, may determine, and in the case of any member of the Council as respects whom the Ministers, with the approval of the Treasury, so determine, may pay out of money provided by Parliament such remuneration, whether by way of salary or fees, as the Ministers and the Treasury may determine in his case, and

(b) in the case of any member of the Council to whom the Ministers, with the approval of the Treasury, determine that this paragraph applies, pay out of money provided by Parliament such pension, or make such payments out of money provided by Parliament toward the provision of a pension, to or in respect of him as the Ministers and the Treasury may determine in his case,

and if a person ceases to be a member of the Council and it appears to the Ministers that there are special circumstances which make it right that that person should receive compensation the Ministers may, with the approval of the Treasury, pay out of money provided by Parliament to that person a sum of such amount as the Ministers may with the approval of the Treasury determine.

(9) The Ministers shall to such extent as may be approved by the Treasury pay out of money provided by Parliament any expenditure incurred or to be incurred by the Council in the performance of their functions.

(10) Schedule 6 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the Council.