§ Mr. GrayTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer from the Paymaster General of 27 February 2004,Official Report,column 579W, on the Valuation Office Agency; whether the vacancy for a non-executive director of the Valuation Office Agency was advertised on the Public Appointments Unit website; when the names of the four candidates who were short-listed by the Valuation Office Agency for the position first entered the Cabinet Office's Public Appointments list; and whether they were self nominations. [159991]
§ Mr. AlexanderThe vacancy for a non-executive director of the Valuation Office Agency was not advertised on the Public Appointments Vacancies website. The appointment was made in April 2002 prior to the development of the website which was launched on 27 March 2003. Since the website enables the open advertising of public appointments opportunities, it has replaced the use of a central list. In accordance with the Data Protection Act, the Department was not able to retain personal information about individuals who were on the list.