The War Pensions Committees Regulations 1990

These Regulations may be cited as the War Pensions Committees Regulations 1990 and shall come into force on 1st January 1991.

In these Regulations—

• “area” in respect of each Committee means the counties, boroughs or other area specified in column 2 of Schedule 1 to these Regulations opposite the name of the Committee;

• “Chief Welfare Officer” means an officer of the Secretary of State who manages the War Pensioners Welfare Service;

• “Committee” means a War Pensions Committee established in accordance with regulation 2 and where the context requires means the appropriate War Pensions Committee;

• “sub-committee” means a sub-committee of a Committee;

• “war disablement pensioner” means a person in receipt of a war pension in respect of his disablement;

• “war widow” means a widow who receives a war pension in respect of the death of her husband.

Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in these Regulations to a numbered regulation is a reference to the regulation bearing that number in these Regulations and any reference in a regulation or Schedule to a numbered paragraph is a reference to the paragraph of that regulation or Schedule bearing that number.

Each Committee other than the Northern Ireland War Pensions Committee shall consist of 30 members appointed by the Secretary of State.

Before appointing the members of such a Committee the Secretary of State shall consult such bodies or organizations in the area which represent any of the interests referred to in paragraph (3)(a), (b) and (c) as he thinks fit.

So far as reasonably practicable, the members appointed shall include—

The Northern Ireland War Pensions Committee shall consist of 18 members appointed by the Secretary of State.

Before appointing the members of the Northern Ireland Committee the Secretary of State shall consult such bodies or organizations in the area which represent any of the interests referred to in paragraph (3) as he thinks fit.

So far as reasonably practicable, the members appointed shall include—

shall consider complaints made to them by persons in their area receiving or claiming war pensions and, if they think fit, make representations about those complaints to the Secretary of State;

shall consider any matters referred to them by the Secretary of State and report to him on those matters with such recommendations as they may think fit;

shall assist the War Pensioners' Welfare Service in looking after the welfare of war pensioners in their area;

may consider any matter connected with war pensions or affecting war pensioners in their area and, where they think it appropriate, make recommendations to the Secretary of State about that matter;

may consider reports by the Secretary of State about the work of the War Pensioners' Welfare Service in their area.

A Committee or sub-committee in receipt of funds from charitable or other sources for the purpose of assisting the War Pensioners' Welfare Service shall safeguard those funds and keep proper written accounts of all receipts and disbursements.

The accounts shall be open to inspection by the Secretary of State.

is habitually absent from meetings of the Committee or has been absent from 3 or more consecutive meetings, unless the absence is due to illness or due to a reason approved by the Secretary of State,

has become bankrupt or made an arrangement with his creditors,

is convicted of a crime and is sentenced to imprisonment or receives a suspended sentence, or

is otherwise unable or unfit to discharge the functions of a member.

Subject to sub-paragraph (4) below each Committee shall appoint from among their members a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman.

The appointment shall be by resolution specifying the period of appointment, which shall not extend beyond the appointee’s term of appointment to the Committee.

Where the office of Chairman or Vice-Chairman falls vacant, the Committee shall appoint a replacement at its next meeting.

The Secretary of State shall appoint a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman for each Committee to hold office for a period of one year commencing on 1st January 1991.

Subject to sub-paragraph (2) below and paragraph 8 the Committee shall decide the time and place of their meetings.

The Secretary of State shall decide the time and place of the first meeting after appointing or re-appointing the members of a Committee, apart from an appointment to fill a casual vacancy.

Subject to sub-paragraph (2) below a Committee shall determine whether persons other than members may attend any meeting of the Committee or a sub-committee.

The Chief Welfare Officer or his deputy may attend any meeting of a Committee or a sub-committee.

be recorded in a Minute Book,

include the names of members present at the meeting,

be signed by the person presiding over the meeting at which they are approved as correct, and

be open to inspection by the Secretary of State.

With the Secretary of State’s approval, a Committee may appoint one or more sub-committees to assist the Committee in carrying out their functions under regulation 6(a).

A Committee shall appoint as Chairman of such a sub-committee a member of the Committee who is also a member of the sub-committee.

Such a sub-committee shall—