National Health Service Act 1977

SCHEDULE 3E+W+S Public Health Laboratory Service Board

Part IE+W+S Constitution of the Public Health Laboratory Service Board

1E+W+SThe Public Health Laboratory Service Board shall be a body corporate.

2E+W+SThe Board may accept, hold and administer properly on trust for any purposes relating to [F1its functions].

3E+W+SThe Board shall consist of a chairman appointed by the Secretary of State and such other members so appointed as the Secretary of State thinks fit, and the members shall include—

(a)not less than two persons appointed after consultation with the Medical Research Council; and

(b)not less than two persons with experience as microbiologists, appointed after consultation with such organisations as the Secretary of State thinks appropriate; and

(c)not less than two proper officers appointed by a local authority; and

(d)not less than one person with experience of service in hospitals; and

(e)not less than one medical practitioner engaged in general medical practice, appointed after consultation with such organisations as the Secretary of State may recognise as representative of practitioners so engaged.

4E+W+SSubject to paragraph 5 below members shall be appointed for a term of three years.

5E+W+SAny member appointed to fill a casual vacancy shall be appointed for the remainder of the term for which his predecessor was appointed.

6E+W+SA member may at any time resign his office.

7E+W+SA person who is or has been a member of the Board shall be eligible for re-appointment as a member.

8E+W+SThe Board may elect a deputy chairman and may appoint one or more committees consisting wholly or partly of members of the Board and may delegate to any such committee any of the Board’s functions.

9E+W+SThe proceedings of the Board or any committee appointed by the Board shall not be invalidated by any vacancy in the membership of the Board or committee, or by any defect in the appointment or qualification of any such member.

10E+W+SThe Board and, subject to any directions of the Board, any committee appointed by them, may regulate their own procedure and fix a quorum for any of their proceedings.

Part IIE+W+S Additional Provisions as to the Public HealthLaboratory Service Board

11E+W+SThe Board may appoint such officers and servants, on such terms as to remuneration and conditions of service, as the Board may, with the Secretary of State’s approval, determine.

12E+W+SThe Board may pay to its members and to the members of any committee appointed by the Board such [F2remuneration and allowances, and may make such provision for the payment of pensions, gratuities or allowances to or in respect of persons who have ceased to be members of the Board, as the Secretary of State may with the approval of [F3the Treasury] determine].

13E+W+SThe Board shall exercise their functions in accordance with any direction which the Secretary of State may give to them but shall in the exercise of those functions be deemed for all purposes to act as principal.

14E+W+SThe Secretary of State shall pay to the Board, out of moneys provided by Parliament, such sums as may be necessary to defray the expenditure of the Board incurred with his approval.

15E+W+SAny sums received by the Board (otherwise than in exercise of their power under paragraph 2 above, or under paragraph 14 above) shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund.

16E+W+SThe Board shall keep proper accounts and other records in such form as the Secretary of State may, with the approval of the Treasury, determine.

17E+W+SThe Board shall prepare and transmit to the Secretary of State in respect of each financial year statements of account in such form as the Secretary of State may, with the approval of the Treasury, determine.

18E+W+SThe Secretary of State shall transmit these statements of accounts on or before 30th November following the financial year to the Comptroller and Auditor General, who shall examine and certify them and lay copies of them together with his report on them before each House of Parliament.