Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-lines Act 1975

Constitution

1 Constitution of the Corporation

(1) There shall be a body corporate, to be called the British National Oil Corporation (and hereafter in this Act referred to as " the Corporation "), which shall be constituted in accordance with the following provisions of this section.

(2) The Corporation shall consist of not less than eight and not more than twenty persons appointed by the Secretary of State to be members of the Corporation from among persons appearing to him to have had wide experience of, and shown capacity in, activities connected with petroleum, other industrial, commercial or financial matters, administration or the organisation of workers.

(3) The Secretary of State—

(a) shall appoint one member to be the chairman of the Corporation;

(b) may appoint another member or other members to be the deputy chairman or deputy chairmen of the Corporation;

(c) shall ensure that two members are persons employed in the civil service of the State ;

(d) shall in appointing members have regard to the desirability of there being members who are familiar with the special requirements and circumstances of particular areas of the United Kingdom.

(4) The provisions of Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the Corporation.

(5) It is hereby declared that the Corporation is not to be regarded as a servant or (except in pursuance of an express provision in that behalf made by or under this Act) as an agent of the Crown or as enjoying any status, privilege or immunity of the Crown or (subject to section 9 of this Act) as exempt from any tax, duty, rate, levy or other charge whatsoever, whether general or local, and that its property is not to be regarded as property of or held on behalf of the Crown ; but nothing in this Act shall be construed as derogating from any privilege, immunity or exemption of the Crown in relation to any matter as respects which the Corporation acts as agent of the Crown by virtue of such an express provision as aforesaid.

(6) In Part II of Schedule 1 to the [1975 c. 24.] House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975, after the entry relating to the British Gas Corporation there shall be inserted the words " The British National Oil Corporation " ; and in Part II of Schedule 1 to the [1975 c. 25.] Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975, after the entry relating to the British Airways Board there shall be inserted the words aforesaid.