§ Lord Freybergasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many designers are members of the Chief Executive Advisory Group of the Office of Government Commerce; and whether there are any plans to appoint a designer as a member of the executive hoard of the Office of Government Commerce. [HL2168]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe OGC Chief Executive's Advisory Group (CEAG) provides strategic advice on OGC activities from key departments, executive agencies and NDPBs. Each member organisation is represented by a member of staff best placed to carry out the role, typically their head of procurement. Therefore, while departmental representatives may have qualifications or experience of design, this is not a factor in their appointment to the group.
The executive board provides strategic and operational direction to OGC. Its members are all OGC executive directors, with the exception of a. non-executive director, with a background in human resources. There are no plans to appoint a designer as an additional member.
OGC promotes the importance of excellent design in terms of functionality, build quality, efficiency and sustainability, respect for context and aesthetic quality in achieving whole-life value for money. For example, OGC collaborated closely with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) to produce and publish guidance in October 2002 Improving the Standards of Design in Public Buildings, which is available on the OGC website (www.ogc.gov.uk). OGC is now engaged in a programme of work with CABE to support departments in their implementation of the recommendations.