Electricity Act 1989

Section 2(6).

SCHEDULE 2Consumers' Committees

Preliminary

1In this Schedule any reference to the committee is a reference to each of the consumers' committees.

Remuneration, pensions etc. of chairman

2(1)There shall be paid to the chairman of the committee such remuneration, and such travelling and other allowances, as the Director may determine.

(2)There shall be paid such pension, allowance or gratuity to or in respect of a person who has held or holds office as chairman of the committee, or such contributions or payments towards provision for such a pension, allowance or gratuity to or in respect of such a person, as the Director may determine.

(3)If, when any person ceases to hold office as such a chairman, the Director determines that there are special circumstances which make it right that that person should receive compensation, there may be paid to him a sum by way of compensation of such amount as the Director may determine.

(4)The approval of the Treasury shall be required for the making of a determination under this paragraph.

Allowances for other members

3There shall be paid to members of the committee other than the chairman such travelling and other allowances as the Director with the approval of the Treasury may determine.

Administration etc.

4The Director may make arrangements for the committee to be provided with office accommodation and with such services as he considers appropriate to enable them to carry out their functions.

Proceedings

5The validity of any proceedings of the committee shall not be affected by any vacancy amongst the members or by any defect in the appointment of a member.

6(1)Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) below, meetings of the committee shall be open to the public.

(2)The public shall be excluded during any item of business where—

(a)it is likely, were members of the public to be present during that item, that information furnished in confidence to the committee by the Director would be disclosed in breach of the obligation of confidence; or

(b)the committee have resolved that, by reason of the confidential nature of the item or for other special reasons stated in the resolution, it is desirable in the public interest that the public be excluded; or

(c)the item relates to a proposal to refer any matter to the Director in pursuance of section 45(3) or 46(1)(a) or (4) of this Act.

(3)Except to the extent that the Director otherwise directs (whether generally or in relation to the particular case), the public shall be excluded during any item of business which relates to—

(a)the determination of any dispute referred to the committee under section 39(5) of this Act; or

(b)the investigation by the committee of any matter in pursuance of section 45(2) or 46(1)(b) of this Act.

(4)The committee shall give such notice—

(a)of any meeting of the committee which is open to the public; and

(b)of the business to be taken at that meeting (other than items during which the public is to be excluded),

as they consider appropriate for the purpose of bringing the meeting to the attention of interested members of the public.

Sub-committees

7(1)The committee may, with the approval of the Director—

(a)establish local and other sub-committees through which the committee may carry out such of their functions as they may determine;

(b)appoint such persons (including persons who are not members of the committee) to be members of any such sub-committee as they may determine; and

(c)regulate the procedure of any such sub-committee.

(2)Persons appointed under sub-paragraph (1) who are not members of the committee may be reimbursed for their travelling expenses and such of their out-of-pocket expenses as do not relate to loss of remuneration.

Financial provisions

8(1)There shall be paid by the Director out of money provided by Parliament—

(a)any sums payable to or in respect of any person under paragraph 2, 3 or 7 above; and

(b)any expenses incurred by the committee in accordance with any statement approved under sub-paragraph (3) below.

(2)The committee shall prepare and send to the Director before the beginning of each financial year a statement of the expenses which they expect to incur in respect of that year for the purposes of, or in connection with, the carrying out of their functions.

(3)The Director shall consider any statement sent to him under sub-paragraph (2) above and shall either approve the statement or approve it with such modifications as he considers appropriate.

Amendment of other Acts

9In section 14(1) of the [1970 c. 44.] Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, for the words “Electricity Consultative Councils, the Electricity Consumers' Council” there shall be substituted the words “consumers' committees appointed under section 2 of the Electricity Act 1989”.

10In Part III of Schedule 1 to the [1975 c. 24.] House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975, there shall be inserted at the appropriate place—

“Chairman of a consumers' committee appointed under section 2 of the Electricity Act 1989”;

and the like insertion shall be made in Part III of Schedule 1 to the [1975 c. 25.] Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975.