The Health Authorities (Membership and Procedure) Regulations 1996

Disability of chairman and members in proceedings on account of pecuniary interest

16.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this regulation, if the chairman or a member has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in any contract, proposed contract or other matter and is present at a meeting of the Authority at which the contract, proposed contract or other matter is the subject of consideration, he shall at the meeting and as soon as practicable after its commencement disclose the fact and shall not take part in the consideration or discussion of the contract, proposed contract or other matter or vote on any question with respect to it.

(2) The Secretary of State may, subject to such conditions as he may think fit to impose, remove any disability imposed by this regulation in any case in which it appears to him in the interests of the health service that the disability shall be removed.

(3) An Authority may, by Standing Orders made under regulation 15(2), provide for the exclusion of the chairman or a member from a meeting of the Authority while any contract, proposed contract or other matter in which he has a pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, is under consideration.

(4) Any remuneration, compensation or allowances payable to the chairman or a member by virtue of paragraph 9 of Schedule 5 to the 1977 Act shall not be treated as a pecuniary interest for the purpose of this regulation.

(5) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (6), the chairman or a member shall be treated for the purposes of this regulation as having an indirect pecuniary interest in a contract, proposed contract or other matter if—

(a) he, or a nominee of his, is a director of a company or other body, not being a public body, with which the contract was made or is proposed to be made or which has a direct pecuniary interest in the other matter under consideration; or

(b) he is a partner of, or in the employment of, a person with whom the contract was made or is proposed to be made or who has a direct pecuniary interest in the other matter under consideration;

and in the case of married persons living together the interest of one spouse shall, if known to the other, be deemed for the purpose of this regulation to be also an interest of the other.

(6) The chairman or a member shall not be treated as having a pecuniary interest in any contract, proposed contract or other matter by reason only—

(a) of his membership of a company or other body if he has no beneficial interest in any securities of that company or other body;

(b) of an interest of his as a person providing Part II services which cannot reasonably be regarded as an interest more substantial than that of others providing such of those services as he provides; or

(c) of an interest in any company, body or person with which he is connected as mentioned in paragraph (5) which is so remote or insignificant that it cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to influence a member in the consideration or discussion of or in voting on, any question with respect to that contract, proposed contract or matter.

(7) Where the chairman or a member has an indirect pecuniary interest in a contract, proposed contract or other matter by reason only of a beneficial interest in securities of a company or other body, and the total nominal value of those securities does not exceed £5,000 or one-hundredth of the total nominal value of the issued share capital of the company or body, whichever is the less, and if the share capital is of more than one class, the total nominal value of shares of any one class in which he has a beneficial interest does not exceed one-hundredth of the total issued share capital of that class, this regulation shall not prohibit him from taking part in the consideration or discussion of the contract, proposed contract or other matter or from voting on any question with respect to it, without prejudice however to his duty to disclose his interest.

(8) This regulation applies in relation to a committee or sub-committee and to a joint committee or sub-committee as it applies in relation to an Authority and applies to a member of any such committee or sub-committee (whether or not he is also a member of an Authority) as it applies to a member of an Authority.