Article 1 Citation, commencement and interpretation

(1)

This Order may be cited as the Joint Consultative Committees Order 1996 and shall come into force—

(a)

for the purposes of article 7, on 29th November 1996; and

(b)

for all other purposes—

(i)

as respects England, on 1st January 1997, and

(ii)

as respects Wales, on 1st April 1997.

(2)

In this Order, unless the context otherwise requires—

“the Act” means the National Health Service Act 1977;
“Committee” means a joint consultative committee referred to in section 22(2) of the Act;
“relevant local authority” means, in relation to a Health Authority, any local authority which is, by virtue of section 22(3ZA) of the Act, associated with that Health Authority;
“the Secretary” means the Secretary to the Committee, appointed in accordance with article 9(4).

(3)

In this Order—

(a)

any reference to a numbered article is a reference to the article bearing that number in this Order;

(b)

any reference in an article to a numbered paragraph is a reference to the paragraph bearing that number in that article; and

(c)

any reference to a body represented on a Committee does not include a reference to a voluntary organisation.