3.—(1) The functions of the Staff Commission shall be—N.I.
(a)to make recommendations regarding the training of officers of boards;
(b)to recommend appointment and promotion procedures for officers of boards and to establish a code of procedure for securing fair and equal consideration of applications to boards by persons seeking to be employed as officers of boards and fair and equal treatment of persons who are so employed;
(c)to establish advisory panels for the purpose of giving advice to boards on the suitability of applicants for appointment to such offices as the Commission considers appropriate;
(d)to ensure that suitable machinery exists for negotiating the terms and conditions of employment of all officers of boards;
(e)to perform such other functions[F1 as are conferred on it by any statutory provision or] as the Department may from time to time assign to it;
but the functions specified in paragraph (c) shall not be exercised in relation to appointments to which Article 83(1) or 88 applies.
(2) The right of the Staff Commission under section 19(1)(a)(vi) of the [1954 c. 33 (N.I.)] Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 to employ staff shall be exercised subject to any direction which may be given by the Department with respect to the number and terms and conditions of service of persons employed or to be employed by the Commission.
(3) Where the Staff Commission makes a recommendation to a board and the board does not comply with the recommendation within a reasonable period, the Staff Commission may refer the matter to the Department and the Department shall give such directions to the board or the Staff Commission as it thinks fit.
(4) Each board shall—
(a)make such reports and returns with respect to its officers and their terms and conditions of employment;
(b)furnish such estimates of its probable future staff requirements;
(c)give such information with respect to matters connected with the employment of any officer;
to the Commission, and within such time, as the Commission may require.