3.—(1) Section 1 of the 1966 Act (the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) is amended as follows.
(2) In subsection (1)(a), for “twenty-four” substitute “twenty-one”.
(3) Omit subsection (1)(b).
(4) In subsection (1)(c)—
(a)for “two persons” substitute “one person”;
(b)omit “of whom at least one shall be a member of the College”.
(5) After subsection (1)(c) insert—
“(d)two registered veterinary nurses appointed by the Veterinary Nurses’ Council(1);
(e)six lay persons appointed by the Council, having had regard to the recommendations of the committee advising the Council for that purpose.”.
(6) After subsection (3) insert—
“(3A) In this section and in Schedule 1—
“lay person” means an individual who is not, and has never been, registered or entitled to be registered in—
the register;
the supplementary veterinary register; or
the veterinary nurses register;
“registered veterinary nurse” means a person whose name appears on the veterinary nurses register;
“veterinary nurses register” means the register of veterinary nurses kept by the College under article 12 of the Supplemental Royal Charter of the College dated 17th February 2015.”.
4.—(1) Schedule 1 to the 1966 Act (provisions as to the Council) is amended as follows.
(2) In paragraph 1(1), for “the day on which a member of the Council ordinarily retires shall be the day of” substitute “a member of the Council ordinarily retires at the beginning of”.
(3) In paragraph 2, for “paragraph 3, 4 or 5” substitute “any of paragraphs 3 to 5”.
(4) After paragraph 3 insert—
“3A.—(1) A member of the Council may be removed from office if the member fails to satisfy any conditions about fitness to be a member that are determined by the Council.
(2) The procedure for removal of a member from office is to be determined by the Council.”.
(5) For paragraph 4 substitute—
“4. An elected member of the Council ceases to hold office if the member ceases to be a member of the College.”.
(6) After paragraph 4 insert—
“4A. A member of the Council appointed by virtue of section 1(1)(d) ceases to hold office if the member ceases to be a registered veterinary nurse.
4B. A member of the Council appointed by virtue of section 1(1)(e) ceases to hold office if the member ceases to be a lay person.”.
(7) In paragraph 7—
(a)after sub-paragraph (1) insert—
“(1A) Where a casual vacancy occurs as respects the member of the Council appointed by a university, the vacancy shall be filled by that university.
(1B) Where a casual vacancy occurs among the registered veterinary nurse members of the Council, the vacancy shall be filled by the appointment of a registered veterinary nurse by the Veterinary Nurses’ Council.
(1C) Where a casual vacancy occurs among the members of the Council who are lay persons, the vacancy shall be filled by the appointment by the Council of a lay person, having regard to the recommendations of the committee referred to in section 1(1)(e).”;
(b)omit sub-paragraph (2);
(c)in sub-paragraph (4), omit “elected”.
(8) For paragraph 8 substitute—
“8.—(1) A person ceasing to be a member of the Council or President or Vice-President of the College is, subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), eligible to be re-elected or re-appointed.
(2) A person ceasing to be a member of the Council at the end of a third consecutive term of office is not eligible to be re-elected or re-appointed until after the first annual general meeting of the College following the day on which the third consecutive term of office ended.
(3) A person (A) who has been removed from office by virtue of paragraph 3A is not eligible to be re-elected or re-appointed until after the first annual general meeting of the College following the day on which A was removed from office.”.
(9) At the end insert—
“14. The Chief Veterinary Officer for the United Kingdom—
(a)is entitled to attend meetings of the Council; but
(b)must not address the Council unless he or she is invited to do so by the chair of the meeting.”.
The Veterinary Nurses’ Council replaced the Veterinary Nurses Committee in 2002. See www.rcvs.org.uk/about-us/vn-council and the RCVS Supplemental Charter granted on 17 February 2015: www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/supplemental-royal-charter-2015/.