National Health Service Act 1977

Section 5(5).

SCHEDULE 3Public Health Laboratory Service board

PART IConstitution of the Public Health Laboratory Service Board

1The Public Health Laboratory Service Board shall be a body corporate.

2The Board may accept, hold and administer property on trust for any purposes relating to the public health laboratory service or otherwise connected with microbiological research.

3The 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.

4Subject to paragraph 5 below members shall be appointed for a term of three years.

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

6A member may at any time resign his office.

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

8The 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.

9The 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.

10The 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 IIAdditional Provisions as to the Public Health Laboratory Service Board

11The 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.

12The Board may pay to its members and to the members of any committee appointed by the Board such travelling and other allowances, including compensation for loss of remunerative time, as the Board may, with the approval of the Secretary of State and the Minister for the Civil Service, determine.

13The 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.

14The 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.

15Any 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.

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

17The 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.

18The 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.