§ Barbara FollettTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the appointment of members of the Benefits Agency Standards Committee has been completed. [102907]
§ Angela EagleI am pleased to announce that membership of the Committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Peter Lehmann has been agreed.
The Committee's independence has been assured by the appointment of seven independent non-executive members alongside two operational executives from the Benefits Agency. The membership reflects a diversity of background and experience. The full list of members together with short pen pictures of each has been placed in the Library.
The Committee will report directly to the Benefits Agency Chief Executive providing him with independent assurance on standards of decision making in the Agency, as well as making recommendations for continuous improvement in the quality of that decision making.