§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish the membership of the Advisory Panel which is considering applications for the chairmanship of the BBC. [5127]
§ Dr. Howells[holding answer 19 July 2001]No. It is not our policy to publish the names of advisory panel members. This is to avoid the risk of their being subjected to unwarranted pressure at any stage of the process. The selection process for all public appointments follows the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public 817W Appointments, and requires an independent assessor on each advisory panel. This practice has been in place since the introduction of an independent element into the appointments process in 1996.