(3) If a vacancy occurs amongst the permanent members of the rates tribunal, or if any permanent member of the rates tribunal is incapacitated by prolonged illness or other unavoidable cause from attending meetings of the tribunal, then pending the filling up of such vacancy or during such absence.
(a) in the case of the president, the Lord Chancellor may appoint a person to act in his place ;
(b) in the case of either of the other permanent members, the Minister may appoint a member of a panel to act in his place, the person so appointed being selected from the general panel or the railway panel according to the qualification of the permanent member in question.
(4) Whenever for the purposes of any particular case or proceeding the rates tribunal either upon application by any of. the parties or otherwise so request, or the Minister thinks it expedient, there shall be added to the rates tribunal two additional members nominated by the Minister from the panels, one selected from the general panel and one from the railway panel.
In selecting a member from the general panel, regard shall be had to the particular class of case or proceeding to be heard, so that, as nearly as may be, the person so selected shall be conversant with and have knowledge of the technicalities that, may arise in such particular case or proceeding.
(5) Any person appointed under the provisions of this section shall, for the purposes of any proceedings in., respect of which he may be so appointed, be a member of the rates tribunal and shall, subject to the provisions of this Part of this Act and to the general rules made thereunder, exercise all the powers and functions of a permanent member of the rates tribunal.
Decisions
25. The decisions of the rates tribunal shall be by a majority of the members including the additional members, and shall not be subject to review otherwise than under the provisions of this Part of this Act-relative to appeals from the rates tribunal.
