PENSIONS Citation, commencement and interpretation 1 1 These Regulations may be cited as the War Pensions Committees Regulations 1990 and shall come into force on 1st January 1991. 2 In these Regulations— “area” in respect of each Committee means the counties, boroughs or other area specified in column 2 of Schedule 1 to these Regulations opposite the name of the Committee; “Chief Welfare Officer” means an officer of the Secretary of State who manages the War Pensioners Welfare Service; “Committee” means a War Pensions Committee established in accordance with regulation 2 and where the context requires means the appropriate War Pensions Committee; “sub-committee” means a sub-committee of a Committee; “war disablement pensioner” means a person in receipt of a war pension in respect of his disablement; “war widow” means a widow who receives a war pension in respect of the death of her husband. 3 Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in these Regulations to a numbered regulation is a reference to the regulation bearing that number in these Regulations and any reference in a regulation or Schedule to a numbered paragraph is a reference to the paragraph of that regulation or Schedule bearing that number. Establishment of War Pensions Committees 2 The areas specified in column 2 of Schedule 1 to these Regulations shall each have a War Pensions Committee named in accordance with the corresponding entry in column 1 of Schedule 1. Membership of Committee (except Northern Ireland War Pensions Committee) 3 1 Each Committee other than the Northern Ireland War Pensions Committee shall consist of 30 members appointed by the Secretary of State. 2 Before appointing the members of such a Committee the Secretary of State shall consult such bodies or organizations in the area which represent any of the interests referred to in paragraph (3)(a), (b) and (c) as he thinks fit. 3 So far as reasonably practicable, the members appointed shall include— a twelve members representative of war disablement pensioners, b three members representative of war widows, c five members representative of voluntary organizations engaged wholly or partly in the care of ex-servicemen or ex-servicewomen or the families of ex-servicemen or ex-servicewomen in the Committee’s area, d four members representative of local authorities, in accordance with the entries in column 3 of Schedule 1 to these Regulations opposite the name of the Committee. Membership of the Northern Ireland War Pensions Committee 4 1 The Northern Ireland War Pensions Committee shall consist of 18 members appointed by the Secretary of State. 2 Before appointing the members of the Northern Ireland Committee the Secretary of State shall consult such bodies or organizations in the area which represent any of the interests referred to in paragraph (3) as he thinks fit. 3 So far as reasonably practicable, the members appointed shall include— a seven members representative of war disablement pensioners, b two members representative of war widows, c three members representative of voluntary organizations engaged wholly or partly in the care of ex-servicemen or ex-servicewomen or the families of ex-servicemen or ex-servicewomen in Northern Ireland, and d two members representative of district councils in Northern Ireland. Constitution, proceedings etc of Committees 5 The provisions of Schedule 2 to these Regulations shall have effect with respect to the Committees. Functions 6 A Committee— a shall consider complaints made to them by persons in their area receiving or claiming war pensions and, if they think fit, make representations about those complaints to the Secretary of State; b shall consider any matters referred to them by the Secretary of State and report to him on those matters with such recommendations as they may think fit; c shall assist the War Pensioners' Welfare Service in looking after the welfare of war pensioners in their area; d may consider any matter connected with war pensions or affecting war pensioners in their area and, where they think it appropriate, make recommendations to the Secretary of State about that matter; e may consider reports by the Secretary of State about the work of the War Pensioners' Welfare Service in their area. Recommendations 7 Any recommendations or representations which a Committee makes to the Secretary of State shall be by way of a resolution submitted to the Chief Welfare Officer. Reports 8 A Committee may request the Secretary of State to supply them with reports relevant to any matter which the Committee is considering. The Committee shall make any such request through the Chief Welfare Officer. Voluntary workers 9 A Committee may, after consulting the Chief Welfare Officer, appoint voluntary workers to assist them or a sub-committee to carry out their functions in relation to complaints by persons receiving or claiming war pension and to assisting the War Pensioners' Welfare Service. Accounts 10 1 A Committee or sub-committee in receipt of funds from charitable or other sources for the purpose of assisting the War Pensioners' Welfare Service shall safeguard those funds and keep proper written accounts of all receipts and disbursements. 2 The accounts shall be open to inspection by the Secretary of State. Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Social Security. Henley Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security 3rd July 1990