56.—(1) There shall be such number of Council Committees as the Governor may from time to time determine.
(2) A Council Committee shall consist of—
(a)such number of persons who are Members of the Legislative Council; and
(b)such number, if any, of persons who are not Members of the Council,
as the Governor, acting after consultation with the Chairman of the Committee, may decide.
(3) There shall be a Chairman of each Council Committee who shall be an Elected Member of the Legislative Council.
(4) The Chairman and the other members of a Council Committee shall be appointed by the Governor, acting in accordance with the following provisions of this section, by notice published in the Gazette.
(5) Subject to subsection (6), the Governor shall appoint as Chairman of a Council Committee such Elected Member of the Legislative Council as shall have been nominated for that office by the votes of a majority of all the Elected Members of the Council.
(6) If, within such period as the Governor in his or her judgement considers reasonable, no person has been nominated in accordance with subsection (5) for the office of Chairman of a Council Committee, the Governor shall, acting in his or her discretion, forthwith appoint an Elected Member of the Legislative Council as Chairman of that Committee.
(7) The Governor shall appoint the members of a Council Committee other than the Chairman after consultation with the Chairman of that Committee.
57.—(1) The office of a member of a Council Committee shall become vacant—
(a)if his or her appointment is terminated by the Governor, acting in accordance with subsections (2) to (4), by notice published in the Gazette;
(b)in the case of a person who was an Elected Member of the Legislative Council at the time of his or her appointment—
(i)if he or she ceases to be an Elected Member of the Council otherwise than by reason of a dissolution of the Council; or
(ii)at the first sitting of the Council after any dissolution of the Council; and
(c)in the case of a member who was not an Elected Member of the Legislative Council at the time of his or her appointment, if he or she is elected to be a Member of the Council.
(2) The Governor shall terminate the appointment of a Chairman of a Council Committee appointed under section 56(5) if a motion that his or her appointment should be terminated receives in the Legislative Council the affirmative votes of a majority of all the Elected Members of the Council.
(3) The Governor may, acting in his or her discretion, terminate the appointment of a Chairman of a Council Committee appointed under section 56(6).
(4) The Governor may terminate the appointment of a member of a Council Committee other than the Chairman after consultation with the Chairman of that Committee.
58.—(1) A Council Committee shall be appointed by the Governor for such general or special purposes as would be most suitably regulated or managed by means of a committee.
(2) The Governor may, by directions in writing, charge any Council Committee with responsibility for any subject or department of government, except for any matter referred to in section 44(1)(a), (b), (c), (d) or (e).
59. The Governor may by order make the rules of procedure of Council Committees and may likewise determine the quorum and place of meeting of each Committee.