Section 2(5).
1The Council shall not be regarded as a servant or agent of the Crown or as enjoying any status, immunity or privilege of the Crown.
2The Council may pay to any member such sums, whether by way of remuneration or allowances or otherwise, as the Secretary of State may with the approval of the Treasury determine.
3(1)Subject to sub-paragraph (2) below, the Council may, with the approval of the Secretary of State as to numbers and terms and conditions of service, appoint such staff as it may determine.
(2)The Council shall not appoint a person to act as principal officer of the Council except after consultation with the Secretary of State.
(3)For the purpose of ensuring that there are persons available in particular localities to assist the Council in the performance in those localities of its functions under this Act, the Council may, without any such approval as is required by sub-paragraph (1) above, appoint such persons to be so available as it may determine.
(4)Persons appointed under sub-paragraph (3) above shall not be paid any sums by the Council for or in respect of their services except sums reimbursing them for their travelling expenses and such of their other out-of-pocket expenses as do not relate to loss of remuneration.
(5)The consent of the Treasury shall be required for the giving by the Secretary of State of an approval for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) above.
4The Council shall have power to do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is incidental or conducive to, the performance of any of its functions under this Act.
5It shall be the duty of the Council to comply with any notice given by the Secretary of State with the approval of the Treasury requiring it to perform duties of a financial nature specified in the notice.
6The Secretary of State or the Director may, to such extent as may be approved by the Treasury, defray or contribute towards the expenses of the Council.
7Any sums required by the Secretary of State for the purposes of paragraph 6 above shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament.
8In the M1House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 in Part II of Schedule 1 (bodies of which all members are disqualified) there shall be inserted (at the appropriate place) the following entry—
“The Gas Consumers’ Council”;
and the like insertion shall be made in Part II of Schedule 1 to the M2Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975.