Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972

18 Power to appoint committees and sub-committees. N.I.

(1) A council may appoint a committee for any such general or special purpose as in the opinion of the council would be better regulated and managed by means of a committee, and may delegate to a committee so appointed, with or without restrictions or conditions, as the council thinks fit, any functions exercisable by the council with respect to either the whole or a part of the district of the council, except the power of making a rate, or of borrowing money or of acquiring, holding or disposing of land, and any transferred provision regulating the exercise of a function by a council shall also apply to regulate the exercise of that function by a committee.

(2) The number of members of a committee appointed under this section, their term of office, and the area, if any, with respect to which the committee is to exercise its functions shall be fixed by the council.

(3) A committee appointed under this section may include persons who are not councillors, but at least two-thirds of the members of every committee shall be councillors.

(4) A committee appointed under this section may, subject to any directions of the council, appoint a sub-committee for the exercise of any function which in the opinion of the council or the committee would be better exercised by a sub-committee, and may if so authorised by the council delegate to such sub-committee with or without restrictions or conditions as the committee think fit any functions of the council delegated to the committee under subsection (1).

(5) A sub-committee appointed under subsection (4) may include persons who are not councillors, but the majority of the members of every sub-committee shall be councillors.

(6) Every member of a committee or sub-committee appointed under this section who was a councillor at the time of his appointment shall, upon ceasing to be a councillor, cease to be a member of the committee or sub-committee.

(7) A council which appoints a committee, or a committee which appoints a sub-committee, may revoke any appointment made under this section and, in the case of a council, may revoke or vary anything delegated, or any restriction or condition imposed, under subsection (1) or anything fixed under subsection (2).

(8) A member of a committee or sub-committee who is not a councillor shall have the same exemption from personal liability as if he were a councillor.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 18 excluded (1.4.2006) by Local Government (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/1968 (N.I. 18)), arts. 1(2), 12(7); S.R. 2006/151, art. 2, Sch. (with art. 3)