§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will give details of the current inquiry into the system of public appointments and identify(a) when it was established, (b) its terms of reference, (c) its composition and (d) when it will report;
(2) if he will give details of the current inquiry into the governance of quangos; when it was established; what are its terms of reference; what is its composition; and when it will report.
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 25 October 1994]As I told the House on 20 October, I set up a working group in May to review the guidance to Departments on public appointments procedures. The terms of reference for the review are
To examine, in consultation with departments, the principles that should govern the membership of public bodies and the methods used to identify potential candidates, including questions relating to equal opportunities and multiple appointments, and the procedures leading to disqualification from or premature termination of 917W appointments; and to consider whether amendments and additions need to be made to the 'Guide on Public Appointments procedures'.The working group is chaired by the director of the public appointments unit and includes representatives from the Department of Employment, the Department of the Environment, the Department of Health, the Lord Chancellor's Department, the Scottish Office, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Treasury and the Welsh Office.
My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and I expect to receive the working group's report in a few weeks' time. I have also asked my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to look across the board at appointments to all public bodies and to make any further recommendations he thinks necessary. We shall be making any recommendations, together with the working group's report, available to the committee on standards in public life.
In addition, the Office of Public Service and Science and the Treasury are preparing, in consultation with Departments generally, a revision of "Non-Departmental Public Bodies: A Guide for Departments". This is intended to assist sponsor Departments on a range of matters concerning non-departmental public bodies. The guide was last revised in March 1992. Work on a further revision began in May, and the aim is to produce the revised guide when the parallel work on public appointments has been concluded. This, too, will be made available to the committee on standards in public life.