§ Ms. Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list (a) the members of the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas, (b) the criteria for selection of members, (c) the relevant qualifications of present members, (d) the number of Trades Union Congress-nominated places and (e) how many Trades Union Congress-nominated places are held by women.
§ Mr. MoynihanThe information is as follows
(a) The present members of the board of directors of the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas (CoSIRA) are:D. Davenport (chairman), Lord Vinson (chairman, Development Commission), A. M. J. Galsworthy, G. P. Gray, J. L. Thompson, M. B. Ferris, Mrs. P. Batty Shaw, Professor M. D. I. Chisholm, A. Leavett, R. Thompson, Lord Gisborough, M. Schreiber, A. D. Scott (chief executive, CoSIRA), J. V. Williams (chief executive, Development Commission).(b) As CoSIRA is a company limited by guarantee, directors are appointed by the board with the approval 832W of the Development Commission, CoSIRA's parent body. There are no set criteria, and directors are usually chosen for their knowledge of small businesses, finance, commerce, trade unions, public or voluntary service, or a more general involvement in rural affairs.(c) The present directors of CoSIRA have a wide range of knowledge about the rural economy but were not selected individually because of any particular interest or expertise.(d)and (e) No directors are nominated by outside bodies.