30.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), appointments to a Committee, other than the Registration Appeals Committee and the Fitness to Practise Committee, shall expire on 31st December in each year.
(2) Where a member of a Committee ceases to be a member of the Council, he shall cease to be a member of that Committee.
(3) A member of a Committee may resign from a Committee at any time by notifying the Council accordingly.
31.—(1) Where a casual vacancy occurs on a Committee, other than the Registration Appeals Committee and the Fitness to Practise Committee—
(a)where the member of the Committee whose office has become vacant was a member of the Council chosen to represent registered optometrists or registered dispensing opticians, the Council shall fill the vacancy by appointing a member of the Council who was chosen to represent the same profession;
(b)where the member whose office has become vacant was a member of the Companies Committee appointed under rule 7, the Council shall fill the vacancy by appointing a person in accordance with the requirements of that rule;
(c)in any other case, the Council shall fill the vacancy by appointing a person who became a member of the Council by virtue of the same provision of paragraph 1 of the Schedule as applied to his predecessor.
(2) A person appointed to fill a casual vacancy in accordance with paragraph (1) shall hold office until the date on which the term of office of his predecessor would have expired.
32. Subject to rules 18 and 26, each Committee shall elect a Chairman.
33. The validity of any proceedings of the Committee shall not be affected by any defect in the appointment of a member.