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    1.    The first meeting of the hospital authority shall be held on such day and at such place as may be fixed by the chairman and he shall be responsible for convening the meeting.

    2.—(1)  The chairman or, in his absence, the vice-chairman may call a meeting of the hospital authority at any time.

    (2)  If a requisition for a meeting, signed by at least one third of the total number of members, is presented to the chairman and the chairman either—
 (a) refuses to call a meeting; or
 (b) without so refusing, does not within seven days after the requisition has been presented to him call a meeting,
those members may forthwith call a meeting.

    (3)  Before each meeting of the hospital authority, a notice of the meeting which—
 (a) specifies the business proposed to be transacted at it; and
 (b) is signed by the chairman or by an officer of the hospital authority authorised by the chairman to sign on his behalf,
shall be delivered to each member, or sent by post to his last known address, at least seven clear days before the day of the meeting.

    (4)  Lack of service of the notice on any member shall not affect the validity of a meeting.

    (5)  In the case of a meeting called under sub-paragraph (2) by members, the notice shall be signed by those members and no business other than that specified in the notice shall be transacted at the meeting.

    3.—(1)  At any meeting of the hospital authority the chairman or, in his absence, the vice-chairman (if there is one and he is present) shall preside.

    (2)  If the chairman and any vice-chairman are absent, such other non-officer member present as the other members present shall choose for the purpose shall preside.

    4.—(1)  Subject to sub-paragraph (2), every question at a meeting shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members present and competent to vote on the question and, in the case of an equality of votes, the chairman or, in his absence, the person presiding at the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

    (2)  Where more than one person has been appointed as an officer member jointly—
 (a) those persons shall be entitled to attend meetings;
 (b) one of those persons shall be entitled to vote where they are in agreement as to how the vote should be cast;
 (c) where they are not in agreement as to how that vote shall be cast, no vote shall be cast;
 (d) the presence of one or all of these persons shall count as the presence of one person for the purposes of this Schedule, any directions issued by the Secretary of State and Standing Orders made under regulation 14(2).

    5.    The names of the members present at a meeting shall be recorded.

    6.—(1)  Subject to sub-paragraph (2), no business shall be transacted at any meeting unless a quorum of five members are present including at least two non-officer members and one officer member.

    (2)  The chairman and at least two non-officer members shall be present at the meeting of the hospital authority which is convened for the purpose of appointing a person to act as the first chief executive.

    7.    The minutes of the proceedings of a meeting shall be drawn up and shall be signed at the next ensuing meeting by the person presiding at that next meeting.