The Council shall consist of a chairman and such other members as the Secretary of State may appoint. The Council shall include members representative of local authority interests and such other interests as the Secretary of State may think fit, and in appointing members representative of local authority interests the Secretary of State shall satisfy himself that there is appropriate representation of the different parts of the Highlands and Islands including, in particular, the Orkney Islands, the Shetland Islands, the Outer Hebrides and the Inner Hebrides.

Before appointing to the Council a member representative of a particular interest, the Secretary of State shall consult such body or bodies as appear to him to be appropriate.

Every member of the Council shall hold and vacate office in accordance with the terms of the instrument under which he is appointed, but not with standing anything in such an instrument any member of the Council may resign his office by a notice given under his hand to the Secretary of State, and a member of the Council who ceases to hold office shall be eligible for re-appointment to the Council.

The Council shall have power to act not with standing any vacancy in the membership of the Council.

Subject to any directions which may be given by the Secretary of State, the Council shall have power to regulate their own procedure.

The Board shall appoint a person employed by them to act as Secretary of the Council.

There shall be paid to Council members and persons attending meetings at the request of the Council such allowances as the Secretary of State may, with the approval of F2the Treasury, determine in respect of loss of earnings and travelling and subsistence expenses and in respect of any other expenses necessarily incurred by them for the purpose of enabling them to discharge their functions as members of the Council or to attend such meetings.