1(1)An Agricultural Executive Committee shall consist of not more than twelve members appointed by the Secretary of State after consultation with persons appearing to him to represent the interests of farmers, of workers employed in agriculture, and of owners of agricultural land.
(2)A majority of the members of each Agricultural Executive Committee shall consist of persons having a practical knowledge of agriculture and drawn from the industry.
2(1)The Secretary of State shall designate a member of each Agricultural Executive Committee to act as chairman of the Committee.
(2)The term of office of a chairman of an Agricultural Executive Committee shall be at the pleasure of the Secretary of State.
(3)The Secretary of State shall appoint one or more members of the Committee to act as vice chairman in the absence of the chairman.
3(1)Subject to the provisions of this paragraph, the term of office of any member (except the chairman) of an Agricultural Executive Committee shall be three years, but a member who ceases to hold office shall, subject to the provisions of this Schedule, be eligible for reappointment.
(2)The following provisions shall regulate the tenure of office of the first members of an Agricultural Executive Committee other than the chairman:—
(a)at the end of the first year from the establishment of the Committee one-third (or, if one-third is not an integral number, the nearest integral number not exceeding one-third) of the said members, to be chosen by lot, shall retire from the Committee;
(b)at the end of two years from the establishment of the Committee one-half (or, if one-half is not an integral number, the nearest integral number not exceeding one-half) of the remaining first members of the Committee, to be chosen by lot, shall retire from the Committee.
(3)Any member of the Committee may resign his membership by notice in writing to the Secretary of State.
(4)The Secretary of State may revoke the appointment of a member of an Agricultural Executive Committee if in his view such revocation is desirable.
(5)Where the Secretary of State appoints a person in the place of a member whose office is vacated otherwise than in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) or (2) of this paragraph, the said sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) shall apply to the person so appointed as if he had become a member of the Committee at the same time as the member in whose place he was appointed, or, where two or more persons are appointed as aforesaid in succession, as if he had become a member of the Committee at the same time as the first member whose office was vacated as aforesaid.
4An Agricultural Executive Committee may add to any subcommittee established by them persons not being members of the Committee, who shall continue as members of the sub-committee for such period as the Committee may determine.
5An Agricultural Executive Committee or sub-committee shall have power to fix and regulate their own procedure, including power to determine the number of members necessary to form a quorum.
6A member of the Committee shall not vote on any question which relates to land of which he is the owner or occupier, or the agent or factor of the owner or occupier, or enter into any contract with the Committee unless the contract has been approved by the Secretary of State:
Provided that this paragraph shall not apply in relation to a contract entitling him to participate, on terms not more favourable than are available to similar members of the fanning community in the area, in any service (including the supply of labour or goods) provided by the Committee in the interests of the farming community in the area.
7A person shall be disqualified for being appointed or being a member of an Agricultural Executive Committee or sub-committee so long as he is a member of the Commons House of Parliament.
8(1)An Agricultural Executive Committee or sub-committee shall have power to act notwithstanding any vacancy among their members.
(2)All acts done at any meeting of any such body shall, notwithstanding that it is afterwards discovered that there was a defect in the appointment or any disqualification of a person purporting to be a member thereof, be as valid as if that defect had not existed.
(3)Nothing in sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph shall affect any requirement as to the number of members necessary to constitute a meeting of any such body as aforesaid.
9The Secretary of State shall attach to the Agricultural Executive Committees and sub-committees such of his officers and servants as he may with the approval of the Treasury determine to be required for providing the committees with the necessary officers and servants.
10(1)The Secretary of State may pay to the members of an Agricultural Executive Committee or sub-committee such allowances as he may with the approval of the Treasury determine.
(2)The expenses of an Agricultural Executive Committee or subcommittee shall be defrayed by the Secretary of State.
11Any document purporting to be a document duly executed or issued on behalf of an Agricultural Executive Committee or sub-committee thereof shall, until the contrary is proved, be deemed to be a document so executed or issued, as the case may be.
12Where any agricultural holding lies partly in the area of one Agricultural Executive Committee and partly in the area of another, the Secretary of State may direct that for the purposes of anything required or authorised to be done by, to or before such a Committee in relation to that holding the whole of the holding shall be deemed to be comprised in the area comprising such part of the holding as may be specified in the direction.