17Every report made to the Secretary of State under section 3(1)(e) of this Act shall set out—
(a)any directions given to the Board under section 2 of this Act;
(b)a summary of any proposals submitted to him under section 3(1)(b) of this Act.
18If the Board establishes committees to discharge or assist it in discharging any of its functions, the Board may, with the approval of the Secretary of State, appoint persons who are not members of the Board to be members of committees so established.
19Subject to any direction given to the Board under section 2 of this Act, the quorum of the Board and of the Board’s committees and the arrangements relating to meetings of the Board and of such committees shall be such as the Board may determine.
20(1)A member of the Board or of any committee established by the Board who is in any way directly or indirectly interested in a contract made or proposed to be made by the Board, or in any other matter whatsoever which falls to be considered by the Board or by the committee, shall disclose the nature of his interest at a meeting of the Board or the committee and the disclosure shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
(2)The member shall not—
(a)where a contract is under consideration, take part in the deliberations on or decision about the contract; and
(b)where any other matter is under consideration, take part in the deliberations on or decision about the matter if the Board or the committee decide that the interest of the member might prejudicially affect the member’s consideration of the matter.
(3)For the purpose of this paragraph, a notice given by a member at a meeting of the Board or a committee to the effect that he is a member of a specified body corporate or firm and is to be regarded as interested in any contract which is made with the body corporate or firm after the date of the notice, and in any other matter whatsoever concerning the body corporate or firm which falls to be considered after that date, shall be a sufficient disclosure of his interest.
(4)A member need not attend in person at a meeting of the Board or committee in order to make a disclosure which he is required to make under this paragraph if he takes reasonable steps to secure that that disclosure is made by a notice which is taken into consideration and read at such a meeting.
21The validity of proceedings of the Board or a committee shall not be affected by a vacancy among the members or by a defect in the appointment of a member or by a failure to comply with the requirements of paragraph 20 above.
22A person dealing with the Board, or with a person claiming under the Board, shall not be concerned to inquire—
(a)whether any directions have been given to the Board under this Act or whether any directions so given have been complied with; or
(b)whether the approval or consent of the Secretary of State or the Minister for the Civil Service required for any of the purposes of this Act has been given, or whether any condition subject to which any such approval or consent was given has been complied with;
and, in favour of such a person, the validity of anything done by the Board shall not be affected by anything contained in any such direction, approval or consent or by reason that any such direction, approval or consent has not been given.