§ Mrs. LaitTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of in Lancaster how many of the appointments to public bodies which he has made since 1 May 1997 have been from the Public Appointments Unit list. [33241]
§ Dr. David ClarkI have made three appointments from the Public Appointments Unit list to public bodies since 1 May 1997. These are: (a) two appointments to the `Better Regulation Task Force'; and (b) one appointment to the 'Civil Service Appeal Board'.
In addition, I have also made two appointments from the Public Appointments Unit list to the Committee on Standards in Public Life on behalf of the Prime Minister.
§ Mr. BurdenTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking(a) to publicise the existence of public appointment forms and (b) to increase the number of applications from the general public to public appointments; [33466]
(2) how many application forms to be considered for public appointment have been (a) requested by members of the public and (b) sent out in the last 12 months. [33465]
217W
§ Dr. David ClarkIt is important that as many people as possible should have the opportunity to apply for public appointments. All departments seek nominations from a wide range of sources, including advertising, the Public Appointments Unit's central list, other departmental databases and consultation with interested bodies.
Information about the Public Appointments Unit is sent to a range of organisations on a regular basis, and is also available on the Internet.
Members of the public are encouraged to register their details with the Unit by completing a self-nomination form. During the past year, over 2,000 of these forms have been issued. Individuals with specific interests are also advised to register their names with the relevant Government departments.