8. (1) The Minister may establish one or more committees to assist and advise him or her in the performance of any of his or her functions under the relevant statutory provisions.

(2) The Minister may, subject to—

(a) subsection (10), and

(b) retaining overall responsibility and accountability,

delegate in writing to a committee any of his or her functions which, in his or her opinion, can be better or more conveniently exercised or performed by a committee.

(3) The Minister shall decide the terms of reference for any committee and may regulate the procedure of any such committee.

(4) The members of a committee shall be appointed by the Minister.

(5) A committee shall consist of such number of members (including, where appropriate, persons with an expertise relevant to the committee’s terms of reference) as the Minister thinks proper; in making appointments to a committee the Minister shall give due consideration to the desirability of the committee’s membership reflecting the social, economic and environmental interests concerned and the need for an appropriate balance between members who are men and who are women.

(6) A member of a committee may be removed at any time for stated reasons by the Minister.

(7) The Minister may at any time dissolve a committee.

(8) The Minister may appoint a person to be chairperson of a committee.

(9) There shall be paid by the Minister to members of a committee such allowances for expenses incurred by them in the discharge of their functions as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, may determine.

(10) The Minister shall not delegate the function of delegating under this section, making of an order under section 1(3) or prescribing any matter that may be prescribed.