Research and Innovation Act 2024

Meetings of Board

18. (1) The Board shall hold such and so many meetings as are necessary for the performance of its functions but in each year shall hold not less than one meeting in each period of 3 months.

(2) The chairperson shall convene a meeting of the Board when requested to do so by not less than the number of members which constitutes a quorum.

(3) The quorum for a meeting of the Board shall be 6.

(4) At a meeting of the Board—

(a) the chairperson shall, if present, be the chairperson of the meeting, or

(b) if and so long as the chairperson is not present or the office of chairperson is vacant, the members of the Board who are present shall choose one of their number to be chairperson of the meeting.

(5) Every question at a meeting of the Board shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members of the Board present and voting on the question and, in the case of an equal division of votes, the chairperson shall have a second or casting vote.

(6) Subject to subsection (3), the Board may act notwithstanding one or more vacancies among its members.

(7) The Board may hold or continue a meeting by the use of any means of communication by which all the members are facilitated to hear and be heard at the same time (in this section referred to as an “electronic meeting”).

(8) A member of the Board who participates in an electronic meeting is taken for all purposes to be present at the meeting.

(9) Subject to this Act, the Board shall regulate, by standing orders or otherwise, the procedures and business of the Board.