The Act Schedule 1 – Water Industry Commissioner and Customer Panels: further provisions
165.Part 1 of the schedule is based on the provisions at Part 1 of Schedule 9A to the 1994 Act on the Commissioner’s appointment, employment of staff, status and financial accounting duties.
166.Part 2 makes detailed provision, based to some extent on Part 2 of Schedule 9A to the 1994 Act, in relation to the establishment of the new Water Customer Consultation Panels.
167.Paragraph 5 provides for a single Convener to be appointed by the Scottish Ministers who will be Convener of all the Panels. This replaces the current arrangement where the Commissioner chairs the Consultative Committees.
168.Paragraph 6 provides that the Convener is to be a member of each Panel and that the Convener is to appoint the other members of the Panels in accordance with procedures and on terms and conditions approved by the Scottish Ministers. Currently, the Commissioner appoints the other members of the Consultative Committees. The number of members in a Panel is fixed by the order under section 2 that establishes it.
169.The schedule also provides for the Convener and Panel members to be paid remuneration on terms set by the Scottish Ministers, and that they may also be paid allowances. It makes it clear that the Commissioner’s office will provide administrative support to the Convener and Panels, and requires Panels’ proceedings to be conducted on terms determined by the Convener, after consulting the Panel members, and approved by Ministers.