Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service Litigation Authority Regulations 1995 and shall come into force on 20th November 1995.

(2) In these Regulations-

"the Act" means the National Health Service Act 1977;

"the Authority" means the National Health Service Litigation Authority established by the Order;

"chairman" means the chairman of the Authority;

"health service body" means a Regional Health Authority, a District Health Authority, a Family Health Services Authority, a Special Health Authority, the Dental Practice Board or an NHS trust;

"member" means a member of the Authority other than the chairman;

"non-officer member" and "officer member" mean, respectively, a member who is not, and one who is, an officer of the Authority;

"the Order" means the National Health Service Litigation Authority (Establishment and Constitution) Order 1995(2).

(3) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to a numbered regulation is a reference to the regulation bearing that number in these Regulations, and any reference in a regulation to a numbered paragraph is a reference to the paragraph bearing that number in that regulation.

Appointment of chairman and members

2. The chairman and non-officer members shall be appointed by the Secretary of State.

Tenure of office

3. Subject to regulations 5 and 7, the term of office of the chairman and of non-officer members shall be for such a period, not exceeding five years, as the Secretary of State shall specify on making the appointment.

Termination and suspension of tenure of office of officer members

4.-(1) An officer member shall cease to hold office as a member where he ceases to hold one of the offices in the Authority specified in article 4(c) of the Order.

(2) If an officer member is suspended from his post in the Authority he shall be suspended from performing his functions as a member during the period of his suspension.

Termination of tenure of office

5.-(1) The chairman or a non-officer member may resign his office at any time during his term of office, by giving notice in writing to the Secretary of State.

(2) Where during his term of office a non-officer member is appointed to be the chairman, his tenure of office as a non-officer member shall terminate when his appointment as chairman takes effect.

(3) Where the Secretary of State is of the opinion that it is not in the interests of the Authority or of the health service that the chairman or a non-officer member should continue to hold that office, he may forthwith terminate his tenure of office by giving him notice in writing to that effect.

(4) If a chairman or a non-officer member fails to attend any meeting of the Authority for a period of six months the Secretary of State shall forthwith terminate that person's tenure of office unless he is satisfied that-

(a)the absence was due to a reasonable cause; and

(b)the person in question will be able to attend meetings of the Authority within such a period as the Secretary of State considers reasonable.

(5) Where a person has been appointed to be the chairman or a non-officer member, and-

(a)he becomes disqualified for appointment under regulation 7, the Secretary of State shall forthwith notify him in writing of such disqualification; or

(b)it comes to the notice of the Secretary of State that at the time of his appointment he was so disqualified, he shall forthwith declare that the person in question was not duly appointed and shall so notify him in writing;

and, upon receipt of any such notification, his tenure of office, if any, shall be terminated and he shall cease to act as such chairman or member.

(6) If it appears to the Secretary of State that the chairman or a non-officer member has failed to comply with regulation 14 (disability on account of pecuniary interest) he may forthwith terminate that person's tenure of office by giving him notice in writing to that effect.

Eligibility for re-appointment

6. Subject to regulation 7 (disqualification for appointment), the chairman and any non-officer member shall, on the termination of his office, be eligible for re-appointment.

Disqualification for appointment

7.-(1) Subject to regulation 8 (cessation of disqualification), a person shall be disqualified for appointment as the chairman or as a non-officer member if-

(a)he has within the preceding five years been convicted in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man of any offence and has had passed on him a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of not less than three months without the option of a fine;

(b)he has been adjudged bankrupt or has made a composition or arrangement with his creditors;

(c)he has been dismissed, otherwise than by reason of redundancy, from any paid employment with a health service body;

(d)he is a person whose tenure of office as the chairman or as a member or director of a health service body has been terminated on the grounds that-

(i)it was not in the interests of the health service body or of the health service that he should continue to hold that office, or

(ii)he failed, without reasonable cause, to attend any meeting of that health service body for a period of six months;

(e)he is the chairman or a director of an NHS trust; or

(f)he has had his name removeed, by a direction under section 46 of the Act, from any list prepared under Part II of the Act, and has not subsequently had his name included in such a list.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(a), the date of conviction shall be deemed to be the date on which the ordinary period allowed for making an appeal or application with respect to the conviction expires or, if such an appeal or application is made, the date on which the appeal or application is finally disposed of or abandoned or fails by reason of its not being prosecuted.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(c) a person shall not be treated as having been in paid employment by reason only of his having been the chairman or a member or director of a health service body.

Cessation of disqualification

8.-(1) Where a person is disqualified under regulation 7(1)(b) by reason of having been adjudged bankrupt-

(a)if the bankruptcy is annulled on the ground that he ought not to have been adjudged bankrupt or on the ground that his debts have been paid in full, the disqualification shall cease on the date of the annulment;

(b)if he is discharged, the disqualification shall cease on the date of his discharge.

(2) Where a person is disqualified under regulation 7(1)(b) by reason of his having made a composition or arrangement with his creditors-

(a)if he pays his debts in full, the disqualification shall cease on the date on which such payment is completed; and

(b)in any other case, it shall cease on the expiry of the period of five years beginning on the date on which the terms of the deed of composition or arrangement are fulfilled.

Appointment of vice-chairman

9.-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the chairman and members may appoint one of the non-officer members to be vice-chairman for such period, not exceeding the remainder of his term as a member, as they may specify on appointing him.

(2) Any member so appointed may at any time resign from the office of vice-chairman by giving notice in writing to the chairman.

Powers of vice-chairman

10. Where the chairman has died or has ceased to hold office, or where he is unable to perform his duties as chairman owing to illness, absence from England and Wales or any other cause, references to the chairman in the Schedule to these Regulations shall, so long as there is no chairman available to perform his duties, be taken to include references to the vice-chairman.

Appointment of committees and sub-committees

11.-(1) Subject to such directions as may be given by the Secretary of State, the Authority may, and if so directed by him shall, appoint committees of the Authority, consisting wholly or partly of members of the Authority or wholly of persons who are not members of the Authority.

(2) A committee appointed under this regulation may, subject to such directions as may be given by the Secretary of State or the Authority, appoint sub-committees consisting wholly or partly of members of the committee (whether or not they are members of the Authority) or wholly of persons who are not members of the Authority or the committee.

Arrangements for the exercise of functions

12. Subject to such directions as may be given by the Secretary of State, the Authority may make arrangements for the exercise, on behalf of the Authority, of any of its functions by a committee or sub-committee appointed by virtue of regulation 11 or by an officer of the Authority, in each case subject to such restrictions and conditions as the Authority thinks fit.

Meetings and proceedings

13.-(1) The meetings and proceedings of the Authority shall be conducted in accordance with the rules set out in the Schedule to these Regulations and with Standing Orders made under paragraph (2).

(2) Subject to those rules, to regulation 14 (disability on account of pecuniary interest) and to such directions as may be given by the Secretary of State, the Authority shall make, and may vary or revoke, Standing Orders for the regulation of its proceedings and business, including provision for the suspension of the Standing Orders or any of them.

(3) Subject to such directions as may be given by the Secretary of State, the Authority may make, vary and revoke Standing Orders relating to the quorum, proceedings and place of meeting of any committee or sub-committee of the Authority; but, subject to any such Standing Orders, the quorum, proceedings and places of meeting shall be such as the committee or sub-committee may determine.

Disability of chairman and members in proceedings on account of pecuniary interest

14.-(1) Subject to the following provisions of this regulation, if the chairman or a member has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in any contract, proposed contract or other matter and is present at any meeting of the Authority at which the contract, proposed contract or other matter is the subject of consideration, he shall at the meeting and as soon as practicable after its commencement, disclose his interest and shall not take part in the consideration or discussion of the contract or other matter or vote on any question with respect to it.

(2) The Secretary of State may, subject to such conditions as he may think fit to impose, remove any disability imposed by this regulation in any case in which it appears to him in the interests of the health service that the disability should be removed.

(3) The Authority may, by Standing Orders made under regulation 13(2), provide for the exclusion of the chairman or a member from a meeting of the Authority while any contract, proposed contract or other matter in which he has a pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, is under consideration.

(4) Any remuneration, compensation or allowances payable to the chairman or a member by virtue of paragraph 9 of Schedule 5 to the Act (pay and allowances) shall not be treated as a pecuniary interest for the purpose of this regulation.

(5) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (6), the chairman or a member shall be treated for the purpose of this regulation as having an indirect pecuniary interest in a contract, proposed contract or other matter if-

(a)he, or a nominee of his, is a director of a company or other body, not being a public body, with which the contract was made or is proposed to be made or which has a direct pecuniary interest in the other matter under consideration; or

(b)he is a partner of, or is in the employment of, a person with whom the contract was made or is proposed to be made or who has a direct pecuniary interest in the other matter under consideration;

and in the case of married persons living together the interest of one spouse shall, if known to the other, be deemed for the purpose of this regulation to be also an interest of the other.

(6) Neither the chairman nor a member shall be treated as having a pecuniary interest in any contract, proposed contract or other matter by reason only-

(a)of his membership of a company or other body if he has no beneficial interest in any securities of that company or other body; or

(b)of an interest in any company, body or person with which he is connected as mentioned in paragraph (5) which is so remote or insignificant that it cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to influence him in the consideration or discussion of, or in voting on, any question with respect to that contract, proposed contract or other matter.

(7) Where the chairman or a member-

(a)has an indirect pecuniary interest in a contract, proposed contract or other matter by reason only of a beneficial interest in securities of a company or other body; and

(b)the total nominal value of those securities does not exceed £5,000 or one-hundredth of the total nominal value of the issued share capital of the company or body, whichever is the lesser; and

(c)if the share capital is of more than one class, the total nominal value of shares of any one class in which he has a beneficial interest does not exceed one-hundredth of the total issued share capital of that class,

this regulation shall not prohibit him from taking part in the consideration or discussion of the contract or other matter, or from voting on any question with respect to it, without prejudice however to his duty to disclose his interest.

(8) This regulation applies to a committee or sub-committee as it applies to the Authority and applies to a member of any such committee or sub-committee (whether or not he is also a member of the Authority) as it applies to a member of the Authority.

(9) In this regulation-

• "public body" includes-

  (a)

  any body established for the purpose of carrying on, under national ownership, any industry or undertaking or part of any industry or undertaking;

  (b)

  the governing body of any university, university college or college, school or hall of a university; and

  (c)

  the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty incorporated by the National Trust Act 1907(3);

• "securities" means-

  (a)

  shares or debentures, whether or not constituting a charge on the assets of a company or other body, or rights or interests in any shares or such debentures; or

  (b)

  rights (whether actual or contingent) in respect of money lent to, or deposited with, any industrial or provident society or building society;

• "shares" means shares in the share capital of a company or other body or the stock of a company or other body.

Reports by the Authority

15. The Authority shall make reports to the Secretary of State in such manner and at such time, being at least once each year, as the Secretary of State may direct, and shall furnish to the Secretary of State such information as he may from time to time require.

regulation 13(1)

SCHEDULERULES AS TO MEETINGS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AUTHORITY

1. The first meeting of the Authority shall be held on such day and at such place as may be fixed by the chairman, and he shall be responsible for convening the meeting.

2.-(1) The chairman may call a meeting of the Authority at any time.

(2) If a requisition for a meeting, signed by at least one third of the total number of members, is presented to the chairman, and the chairman either-

(a)refuses to call a meeting; or

(b)without so refusing, does not within 21 days after the requisition has been presented to him call a meeting,

those members may forthwith call a meeting.

(3) Before each meeting of the Authority, a notice of the meeting which-

(a)specifies the principal business proposed to be transacted at it; and

(b)is signed by the chairman or by an officer of the Authority authorised by the chairman to sign on his behalf,

shall be delivered to each member, or sent by post to his last known address, at least seven clear days before the day of the meeting.

(4) The proceedings of any meeting shall not be invalidated by a failure to deliver such notice to any member.

(5) In the case of a meeting called under sub-paragraph (2) above by members, the notice shall be signed by those members and no business other than that specified in the notice shall be transacted at the meeting.

3.-(1) At any meeting of the Authority the chairman or, in his absence, the vice-chairman (if there is one and he is present) shall preside.

(2) If the chairman and any vice-chairman are absent, such other non-officer member present as the other members present shall choose for the purpose shall preside.

4. Every question at a meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present and competent to vote on the question and, in the case of an equality of votes, the chairman or, in his absence, the person presiding at the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

5.-(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2) below, no business shall be transacted at any meeting unless at least three non-officer members and at least one officer member are present.

(2) The chairman and at least two non-officer members shall be present at the meeting of the Authority which is convened for the purpose of appointing a person to act as the chief officer.

6.-(1) The minutes of the proceedings of a meeting shall be drawn up and shall be signed at the next ensuing meeting by the person presiding at that next meeting.

(2) The names of the members present at a meeting shall be recorded in the minutes.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make provision concerning the membership and procedure of the National Health Service Litigation Authority which is a special health authority established under the National Health Service Act 1977 by the National Health Service Litigation Authority (Establishment and Constitution) Order 1995.

In particular, these Regulations provide for the appointment and tenure of office of the chairman and members of the Authority (regulations 2 and 3), for the termination of office and the eligibility of members for re-appointment (regulations 4, 5 and 6), and for disqualification for appointment and the cessation of such disqualification (regulations 7 and 8). Also included are provisions relating to the vice-chairman of the Authority (regulations 9 and 10), the appointment of, and exercise of functions by, its committees and sub-committees (regulations 11 and 12) and its meetings and proceedings (regulation 13 and the Schedule), and provision for dealing with conflicts of interest and for requiring the Authority to furnish reports and certain other information to the Secretary of State (regulations 14 and 15).