(1)Subject to the provisions of this section, the Minister of Pensions (in this Act referred to as " the Minister") may by order make schemes for establishing committees to act as committees for the purposes of the War Pensions Acts, 1915 to 1920, as amended by this Act, for such areas as are respectively specified in the schemes, and, as from the date on which a committee is established for any area by a scheme under this section, all committees constituted under the War Pensions Acts, 1915 to 1920, for that area or any part of that area shall, subject as hereinafter provided, cease to exist, and all the provisions of those Acts, including any regulations, schemes, or orders made thereunder, relating to the constitution and the functions of, or otherwise making provision in relation to, committees under those Acts shall cease to have effect as respects that area:
Provided that—
(a)where any such scheme affects part only of the area for which any committee constituted under the War Pensions Acts, 1915 to 1920, is exercising its functions, that committee shall continue to exist, but shall cease to have any functions as respects so much of its area as is included in the area to which the scheme relates; and
(b)notwithstanding the making of a scheme for any area, the regulations made under paragraph (f) of subsection (1) of section five of the [8 & 9 Geo. 5. c. 57.] War Pensions (Administrative Provisions) Act, 1918, as amended by section four of the [8 & 9 Geo. 5. c. 53.] War Pensions (Administrative Provisions) Act, 1919 (in this Act referred to as "the Act of 1919,") providing for the disallowance of any items of expenditure in the accounts of committees or the surcharging of any items disallowed or any loss or deficiency, and the recovery of any amount surcharged, shall, so far as relates to matters occurring before the date on which the scheme takes effect, continue in force as respects the accounts of committees constituted as aforesaid for that area.
(2)Before making any order under this section, the Minister shall take such steps as he may think desirable to consult persons and bodies affected thereby, including local committees.
(3)A committee established by a scheme under this section shall consist of such number of members, not exceeding twenty-five, as may be specified in the scheme, and every such scheme shall provide for the inclusion, so far as practicable, in the committee of representatives of—
(a)disabled men who have been discharged from the naval, military, or air service of His Majesty during the present war; and
(b)women who are in receipt of pensions as the widows or dependants of men in the said naval, military, or air service who have died from causes arising out of service during the present war; and
(c)such of the local authorities whose districts are situate wholly or partly within the area for which the committee is established as are specified in the scheme; and
(d)employers and workmen in industry in equal numbers; and
(e)voluntary associations engaged in the care of ex-service men and their families in the area;
Provided that—
(i)the persons appointed as representatives of the persons mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection shall together constitute not less than one fourth of the total membership of the committee, and the persons appointed as representatives of the, persons mentioned in paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) respectively shall in each case constitute not less than one-fifth of the total membership of the committee, and where one fourth or one fifth of the total membership is not an integral number, the nearest integral number to one fourth or one fifth of the total membership, as the case may be, shall be substituted therefor ; and
(ii)where the number of the members to be appointed as representatives of the persons mentioned in paragraph (d) as ascertained in the manner aforesaid is not an even number, the number so ascertained shall be increased by one; and
(iii)not less than four members of the committee shall be women.
(4)Every scheme made for the establishment of a committee under this section shall provide for the appointment of the members of the committee by the Minister, and for the periods for which the members shall hold office, and the conditions under which they can be removed from office and on the first constitution of such a committee the Minister shall have regard to the desirability, subject to the provisions of this section, of selecting, so far as possible, for appointment to the. committee, persons who are members of the existing committees in the area to which the scheme applies.
(5)Every order made under this section with respect to any area shall provide for the transfer to the committee established thereunder or to the Minister, according as the Minister thinks desirable, of any business pending before the existing committees in so far as the business relates to that area, and may contain such consequential and supplemental provisions as the Minister may consider necessary
(6)In the appointment of officers required for the administration of any business transferred to the Minister in pursuance of an order made under this section, the employment of suitable members of the staff of any existing committee in the area shall, so far as practicable, be considered.
(7)Any order made under this section shall have effect as if enacted in this Act, and may be revoked, varied, or amended by a subsequent order so made.