78Local Optical Committees
(1)A Local Health Board may recognise a committee formed for its area, or for its area and that of one or more other Local Health Boards, which it is satisfied is representative of the optometrists providing general ophthalmic services in that area.
(2)A committee recognised under this section is called the Local Optical Committee for the area for which it is formed.
(3)Any such committee may delegate any of its functions, with or without restrictions or conditions, to sub-committees composed of members of that committee.
(4)Regulations may require a Local Health Board, in the exercise of functions under this Part, to consult committees recognised by it under this section on such occasions and to such extent as may be prescribed.
(5)Subsection (4) does not affect any other power to require a Local Health Board to consult committees recognised by it under this section.
(6)A committee recognised under this section has such other functions as may be prescribed.
(7)A Local Health Board may, on the request of any committee recognised by it under this section, allot to that committee such sums for defraying the committee’s administrative expenses as may be determined by the Local Health Board.
(8)Any sums so allotted must be out of the moneys available to the Local Health Board for the remuneration of persons of whom the committee is representative under this section.
(9)The amount of any such sums must be deducted from the remuneration of those persons in such manner as may be determined by the Local Health Board.
(10)The administrative expenses of a committee include the travelling and subsistence allowances payable to its members.