Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Act 1949

Section 2.

SECOND SCHEDULE Constitution and Proceedings of Scottish Agricultural Wages Committees

1 An agricultural wages committee shall consist of not more than eight and not less than five persons representing employers and an equal number of persons representing workers in agriculture in the district (in this Schedule referred to as representative members), of two impartial persons appointed by the Secretary of State and of a chairman.

2 The representative members of the committee shall be nominated in the prescribed manner or elected in the prescribed manner, according as may be prescribed.

3 (1) The chairman of an agricultural wages 'committee shall be appointed annually by the representative members of the committee.

Provided that if the representative members of the committee at any time fail to appoint a chairman within such period as may be prescribed, the appointment may be made by the Secretary of State.

(2) The representative members of a committee may nominate one or more persons for the office of vice-chairman, and the chairman may from time to time appoint one of those persons to act in his place as vice-chairman in his absence.

(3) A representative member of a committee shall not be qualified to be appointed chairman or vice-chairman of the committee of which he is a member.

4 At every meeting of an agricultural wages committee the chairman, if present, shall preside. If the chairman is absent, the vice-chairman, if present, shall preside. If both the chairman and vice-chairman are absent, such member as the members then present choose shall preside.

5 The Secretary of State may appoint a secretary for an agricultural wages committee.

6 (1) At a meeting of an agricultural wages committee the chairman or a vice-chairman presiding at the meeting in his absence shall be entitled to vote, and in case of an equality of votes shall have a second or casting vote, but before exercising his right to vote the chairman or vice-chairman, if so authorised by a resolution of the members of the committee representing employers and the members thereof representing workers, may obtain the advice of the Board or a committee thereof as to the exercise of such right, and may adjourn the meeting in order to enable him to do so.

(2) A resolution for the purposes of the preceding sub-paragraph that is passed at a meeting of an agricultural wages committee unanimously by such of the members thereof representing employers and such of the members thereof representing workers in agriculture as are present and voting shall be deemed, for those purposes, to be a - resolution of those members.

7 (1) An agricultural wages committee may, in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament, appoint one or more sub-committees consisting of persons representing employers and persons representing workers in agriculture in the district in equal proportions, and of a chairman, if the committee think fit, and the committee may refer to any such sub-committee for report and recommendations any matter which they think it expedient so to refer, and may also, if they think fit, delegate to any such sub-committee any of their powers and duties under this Act.

(2) The members of a sub-committee may, but need not, be members of the committee by which the sub-committee is appointed.

8 The proceedings of an agricultural wages committee or of a sub-committee thereof "shall not be invalidated by a vacancy therein or by a defect in the appointment, nomination or election of the chairman, vice-chairman or other member of the committee or subcommittee.

9 The Secretary of State may make regulations with respect to the proceedings and meetings of agricultural wages committees and sub-committees thereof, including the appointment of chairmen and the term of office of chairmen and other members, the method of voting and the number of members necessary to form a quorum, and any such regulations may be made so as to apply generally to the procedure of all committees or sub-committees or specially to the procedure of any particular committee or sub-committee ; but, subject to the provisions of this Schedule and to any regulations so made, an agricultural wages committee and a sub-committee thereof may respectively regulate their proceedings in such manner as they think fit.

10 The Secretary of State may, out of moneys provided by Parliament, pay to the members of an agricultural wages committee and the members of a sub-committee thereof such allowances by way of compensation for expenses incurred and time lost by them in the performance of their duties as he may, with the consent of the Treasury, determine.