§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list members of local and national public appointments commissions, stating in each case(a) what other public appointments each has held and when, (b) what political affiliation each has recorded, and when, and (c) the postal district of their place of residence. [55291]
§ Mr. LeslieThe post of the Commissioner for Public Appointments was established by the previous administration in 1995, in response to a recommendation made by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in its670W First Report (Cm 2580). The Commissioner is appointed by the Queen under the Public Appointments Order in Council 1995, as amended by the Public Appointments Order in Council 1998, and is independent of both the Government and the Civil Service.
The present Commissioner is Dame Rennie Fritchie, who was appointed for an original three-year term in 1999, and who has since been re-appointed to serve a further three-year term from March 2002 to February 2005.
Dame Rennie was previously Chair of Gloucester Health Authority from 1988–1992; South-Western Regional Health Authority from 1992–1994; South and Western Region NHS Executive (formerly South and Western Regional Health Authority) from 1994–1997. There is no requirement on holders of this office to record their political affiliation, if any. I am advised by the Commissioner's Office that the postal district of Dame Rennie's place of residence is GL1.
In April 2001, the Government established an independent NHS Appointments Commission. At present there are around 4,000 chairs and non-executives on NHS boards whose appointments are now the responsibility of the Commission. The Commission has a Chair, Sir William Wells and eight Regional Commissioners namely, Mrs. Gillian Camm, Mrs. Jane Isaacs, Dr. John Marshall, Sir Ian Mills, Mrs. Brenda Sills, Mr. Michael Taylor, Mrs. Rosie Varley and Mr. Bernard Williams. Details of previous public appointments that they have held are contained in the press releases announcing their appointments, copies of which are in the libraries of the House. There is no requirement on the Chair or the Regional Commissioners to record their political affiliation, if any.
I am advised by the NHS Appointments Commission that the Chair and the Regional Commissioners live in the following postal districts, Sir William Wells (TW10), Mrs. Camm (GL13), Mrs. Isaacs (WV1), Dr. Marshall (DL2), Sir Ian Mills (SE13), Mrs. Sills (NG31), Mr. Taylor (CH1), Mrs. Varley (IP33) and Mr. Williams (SL6).