31.—(1) In section 11 of the principal Act (chairman)—
(a)subsection (2) shall be omitted;
(b)in subsection (3) at the beginning there shall be inserted “Subject to paragraph 3(4) of Schedule 2,”.
(2) After section 12 of the principal Act there shall be inserted
12A.—(1) The election of the chairman shall be the first business transacted at the annual meeting of the council.
(2) If, apart from section 11(4) or 13(1), the person presiding at the meeting would have ceased to be a member of the council, he shall not be entitled to vote in the election except in accordance with paragraph (3).
(3) In the case of an equality of votes the person presiding at the meeting shall give a casting vote in addition to any other vote he may have.”.
(3) In section 13(1) of the principal Act (vice-chairman) after “council and” there shall be inserted “, subject to paragraph 3(4) of Schedule 2,”.
(4) In paragraph 3 of Schedule 2 to the principal Act (meetings and proceedings of councils) after sub-paragraph (3) there shall be inserted—
“(4) Nothing in this paragraph shall authorise any councillor to preside at so much of any meeting of the council during which the business of the election of a chairman or of a vice-chairman is transacted where that councillor is a candidate for election to the office of chairman or, as the case may be, of vice-chairman.”.