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Dewar appoints new Chairman for Sustainable Development Group
24/06/1998
Fife Council chief executive Dr John Markland has been appointed as the new chairman of the Scottish Secretary's Advisory Group on Sustainable Development.
Dr Markland is also chairman of Forward Scotland, the company set up by the Government to show what sustainable development means in practice.
His new post, which starts today when the Advisory Group meets in Aberfeldy, runs for one year and is unpaid. He takes on a new remit to examine the issues, priorities and structures needed to keep sustainable development at the heart of the Scottish Parliament.
Welcoming the appointment, Scottish Environment Minister Lord Sewel said:
"John Markland has got the measure of what is needed to advance sustainable development in Scotland. He has led Forward Scotland through an innovative and exciting programme of work linked to the New Deal, social exclusion and Best Value, as well as more traditional environmental issues such as landfill tax.
"Fife Council has also developed important initiatives on sustainable development. Dr Markland brings together interests and experience in a way which should help us understand how we can achieve the strongly integrated approach we will need in the Scottish Parliament.
"His predecessor, Sir Charles Fraser, was instrumental in making sustainable development a real issue for Scottish business and I hope the Advisory Group can build on that strong foundation."
BACKGROUND
1. The Secretary of State's Advisory Group on Sustainable Development was established in 1994 to advise on:
· policy issues and practical challenges for Scotland as a consequence of adopting the principles of sustainable development;
· implications for Scotland of advice from the Government's Panel on Sustainable Development for the UK, with which it will maintain regular contact;
· measures which achieve the closer integration of environmental issues in the policies and practices of both the private and public sectors across Scotland;
· any matters referred to the Group by the Secretary of State.
Its first report was published by The Scottish Office in August 1997.
2. The present members are:
Nan Burnett OBE (Chairman) - East Areas Board, and Board Member, Scottish
Natural Heritage
Kevin Dunion - Director, Friends of the Earth Scotland
Dr George Hazel - Director of City Development, The City of Edinburgh Council
Tricia Henton - Director of Environmental Strategy, SEPA
Nick Kuenssberg - Institute of Directors, Scotland
Prof. Bart McGettrick OBE - Principal, St Andrew's College, Bearsden
Simon Pepper - Head of World Wide Fund for Nature, Scotland
Prof. Roger Willey - Chief Executive, Centre for Environmental Waste Management,
University of Paisley
News Release: 1309/98
June 24, 1998