Naval and Military War Pensions, &c., Act 1915

1 Establishment of Statutory Committee of Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation.

(1) For the purposes herein-after mentioned relating to pensions and grants and allowances made in respect of the present war to officers and men in the naval and military services of His Majesty and their wives, widows, children and other dependants, and the care of officers and men disabled in consequence of the present war there shall be constituted a Statutory Committee of the Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation (herein-after referred to as the Corporation) consisting of twenty-seven members, appointed as herein-after mentioned.

(2) Of the said twenty-seven members—

• twelve (of whom one shall be chairman and one vice-chairman and some shall be women and not less than two shall be representatives of labour) shall be appointed by His Majesty;

• one shall be appointed by the Treasury ;

• one shall be appointed by the Admiralty ;

• one shall be appointed by the Army Council;

• one shall be appointed by the National Health Insurance Joint Committee;

• one shall be appointed by the Local Government Board ;

• one shall be appointed by the Local Government Board for Scotland ;

• one shall he appointed by the Local Government Board for Ireland;

• two shall be appointed by the Soldiers and Sailors Families .Association;

• six (of whom some shall be women) shall be appointed by the General Council of the Corporation.

(3) Four of the members appointed by the General Council of the Corporation shall be appointed from amongst the members of the Corporation, but, save as aforesaid, it shall not be necessary that the persons appointed to be members of the Statutory Committee should at the time of appointment be members of the Corporation.

(4) There may be paid to the chairman or vice-chairman out of moneys provided by Parliament, such salary as the Treasury may determine.

(5) All other expenses of the Committee (including such travelling expenses to members of the Committee as the Committee may determine) shall be paid out of the funds at the disposal of the Committee.

(6) Seven members of the Statutory Committee shall constitute a quorum.

The Statutory Committee may appoint sub-committees consisting either wholly or partly of members of the Statutory Committee, and may delegate to such sub-committees, with or without any restrictions or conditions as they think fit, any of their powers and duties under this Act.

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this subsection, the Committee shall regulate their own procedure.

(7) The term of office of a member of the Statutory Committee shall be three years; but a retiring member shall be eligible for re-appointment:

Provided that if a member required to be appointed from amongst the members of the Corporation ceases for two months to be a member of the Corporation otherwise than as a member of the Statutory Committee he shall at the end of that period vacate his office as member of the Statutory Committee, and that a person appointed to fill a casual vacancy shall continue in office so long only as the person in whose place he was appointed would have continued in office.

(8) The Statutory Committee may, with the consent of the Treasury, appoint and employ a secretary, assistant secretaries, and such other clerks and servants as they may require, and may pay out of funds at their disposal to such secretary, assistant secretaries, clerks and servants, such salaries or remuneration as they, with the consent of the Treasury, may determine, and may with like consent establish a scheme of pensions for persons in their permanent employment or grant pensions to such persons on retirement.