HC Deb 18 December 2003 vol 415 cc1115-6W
Denzil Davies

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to his Answer of 8 December,Official Report, columns 350—51W, on the Electoral Commission, how potential applicants for the position of Chair and/or member of the Electoral Commission were informed that an open competition would be held; and how many applicants indicated that they wished to be considered for the position of Chair. [144895]

Mr. Leslie

The selection process for appointments for the position of Chair and/or member of the Electoral Commission began in April 2000 with publication in the press of advertisements inviting applications to fill the posts.

Due to the confidential nature of application forms it is not possible to state how many applicants indicated that they wished to be considered for the position of Chair.

Denzil Davies

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to his Answer of 8 December 2003,Official Report, columns 350–51W, on the Electoral Commission, if he will list the members of the selection panel which decided who should become Chair of the Electoral Commission. [144896]

Mr. Leslie

The members of the selection panel which decided who should become Chair of the Electoral Commission were: Elizabeth Filkin, the then Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards; Sylvia Denman, an academic lawyer specialising in equal opportunity issues; and Nigel Varney, the then Head of the Home Office Party Funding Unit. Sir David Omand, as the then Permanent Secretary at the Home Office chaired the panel.