§ Mr. BorrowTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what decisions she has made about the membership of the boards of the regional development agencies outside London. [57319]
§ Alan JohnsonThe first terms of office of Jonathan Porritt (SW RDA), John Ashcroft (Yorkshire Forward) and Bryan Carr and Ron Whittaker (EMDA) ended this year. Following consultation with RDA chairmen and key national and regional players, I have decided to re-appoint each of them to their respective board for a second term of three years. Biographies of these board members are set out. The next round of new appointments will begin in June.
Bryan Carr (EMDA)
Bryan Can is currently Chairman of Lincolnshire Electronics Company, Castlet, vice-chairman of Governor's for Monks Dyke Technology College in Lincolnshire and also chairman of Transline Ltd., Lincolnshire.
Dr. Ron Whittaker (EMDA)
Ron Whittaker is chief executive of SATRA Technology Centre, Kettering. He is on the Technical Committee of the British Apparel and Textiles Confederation and a member of the East Midlands Clothing and Textiles Partnership. He is also vice-chairman of a community primary school in Kettering and Technology Governor for a voluntary aided secondary school, also in Kettering. Ron is a council member for East Midlands Council of CBI. He is not involved in any political activity and holds no other ministerial appointments.
John Ashcroft (Yorkshire Forward)
John Ashcroft has a lead role on Business Birth Rate, innovation and technology transfer and a support role for the North Yorkshire sub-region. John is a director of Datalion Ltd. and a trustee director of The Earth Centre. He is a non-executive director of British Smaller Technology Companies VCT1 and VCT2 plc, 779W KMP Associates Ltd., Shopcreator plc, South Yorkshire Investment Fund Ltd. and Cozart Bioscience Ltd. He is also a board member of North Yorkshire Learning Skills Council (unpaid) and executive chairman of Cambridge Cognition Ltd. He is not involved in any political activity and holds no other ministerial appointments.
Jonathan Porritt CBE (SW RDA)
Jonathan Porritt is a co-founder and programme director of Forum for the Future, a charity which offers a solutions-oriented approach to today's environmental and social problems, developing strategic partnerships across different sectors. He is a leading writer, broadcaster and commentator on sustainable development, and his most recent book is 'Playing Safe: Science and the Environment' (Thames and Hudson 2000). He is also chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission, co-director of The Prince of Wales Business and Environment Programme, and a vice-president of the Socialist Environment Resources Association (SERA). He is not involved in any political activity and holds no other ministerial appointments.