The British Wool Marketing Scheme (Approval) Order 1950

PART IV POLLS

55.  Within six weeks of the coming into force of this Scheme, a poll of registered producers shall be taken on the question whether this Scheme is to remain in force. The said poll (in this Scheme referred to as the “initial poll”) and any poll held in connection with a proposal for the amendment or revocation of this Scheme shall be taken in accordance with the succeeding provisions of this part of the Scheme.

56.  The producers who are entitled to vote on the poll shall be the producers who are registered on the qualifying date, that is to say:—

(a) In the case of the initial poll, the date of expiry of the time for registration specified in the notice to be published in accordance with sub-section (1) of Section 4 of the Act of 1931.

(b) In the case of any other poll, such date as may be determined by the Board.

Provided that a producer who is exempt from registration shall, notwithstanding that he is registered, not be entitled to vote on the initial poll.

57.  The poll shall be conducted by post and the Board shall, not later than the tenth day after the qualifying date, send a voting paper to every producer entitled to vote. In the event of the loss of a voting paper so sent, the Board may supply a duplicate voting paper.

58.  For the purpose of any poll the voting paper shall be substantially in the form set out in the Third Schedule of this Scheme, and only voting papers which are properly completed and which reach the office of the Board on or before the fifteenth day after the qualifying date shall be taken into account.

59.  For the purpose of any poll, a producer shall be deemed to be capable of producing one unit of wool for every complete ten sheep over four months old in his possession at the qualifying date.

60.  Any voting paper which is mutilated or otherwise defaced so as not to be clearly decipherable shall be disregarded.

61.  Any person who knowingly makes any false statement in a voting paper shall be liable, on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months, or to a fine not exceeding £100, or to both such imprisonment and fine.

62.  The Board shall cause the votes given on any poll to be counted by an independent person and the result of the poll as certified by him shall, as soon as possible, be declared at a meeting of the Board by the chairman at that meeting, and shall be published in The Times, The Scotsman, The Glasgow Herald, The Belfast News Letter and The Western Mail newspapers, or at the option of the Board by sending a notice thereof in the case of the initial poll to every person who is known to the Board to be a producer, and in the case of any other poll, to every registered producer.