§ Dr. Jack CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what method she has adopted to determine membership of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management; how many appointments have been made; if she will list those people already confirmed as members of the committee; and if she will make a statement. [129530]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 15 September 2003]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in a reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline, West (Rachel Squire), on 16 July 2003, Official Report, columns 318–19W, stated we had advertised in March for Members of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management, had received over 400 applications, and had appointed Katharine Bryan as Chair; Mrs. Bryan would help select the remaining members. We have since carried out interviews for the remaining posts and we shall make an announcement once the appointments have been agreed with the Devolved Administrations. Our method is to select candidates according to the criteria we published in March and following the Code of Practice of the Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments, including the use of an independent assessor on the selection panel.