National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978

National advisory bodies

5Scottish Health Service Planning Council

(1)There shall be constituted a Council, to be called the Scottish Health Service Planning Council (hereafter in this Act referred to as " the Planning Council"), and it shall be the duty of the Planning Council to advise the Secretary of State on the exercise of his functions under this Act, whether at his request or on their own initiative.

(2)Schedule 3 shall have effect in relation to the Planning Council.

(3)For the purpose of performing their duty under this section the Planning Council shall keep under review the development of the health service in Scotland as a whole and in the various parts of Scotland.

(4)The Planning Council shall make an annual report to the Secretary of State on their proceedings and on the proceedings of any committee appointed by them, and the Secretary of State shall lay that report before Parliament with such comments (if any) as he thinks fit.

6National Consultative Committees

(1)Where the Secretary of State is satisfied that a committee has been formed which is representative of any, some or all of the professions engaged in the provision of care or treatment under this Act, and that it is in the interests of the health service to recognise the committee for the purposes of this Act, he shall so recognise it, and any such committee shall be known as a national consultative committee.

(2)The professional teaching interests in relation to any such profession shall be represented on the national consultative committee by such number of members, appointed in such manner, as may be prescribed.

(3)Where the Secretary of State considers it necessary, he may, with the agreement of a national consultative committee, appoint additional persons to be members of that committee.

(4)It shall be the general function of a national consultative committee to advise the Planning Council on the provision of services under this Act, being services with which that committee is concerned; but, except in so far as regulations otherwise provide, such a committee shall not concern itself with the remuneration and conditions of service of practitioners or other persons of whom it is representative.

(5)In addition to any other functions which a national consultative committee may exercise, they shall exercise such functions as may be prescribed.

(6)The Planning Council shall consult with the national consultative committees on such occasions and to such extent as may be prescribed, and may ask any such committee to undertake, on behalf of the Planning Council, such investigation as the Planning Council think fit.

(7)A national consultative committee shall have power to appoint sub-committees, whether jointly with another national consultative committee or otherwise, and to appoint to any such sub-committee persons who are not members of the national consultative committee or committees concerned.

(8)The Secretary of State shall defray the reasonable expenses of national consultative committees, and shall pay to members of such committees and sub-committees thereof such travelling and other allowances, including compensation for loss of remunerative time, as he may, with the approval of the Minister for the Civil Service, from time to time determine.