This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Children’s reporter appointments
26/09/2003
The deputy chair of the Scottish
Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA) has been
re-appointed and a board member has been appointed.
Deputy Minister for Education &
Young People Euan Robson today announced the appointments
of Anne McNeill and Councillor Harry McGuigan.
Anne McNeill's appointment has been
made with immediate effect until March 31 2005. Harry
McGuigan's re-appointment - also with immediate effect -
will run until April 30 2007.
Euan Robson said:
"I am pleased to announce these two
appointments to the SCRA Board. Anne McNeill was appointed
as a board member in 1999 and her performance has since
been highly rated by both the current and previous chairs.
Councillor McGuigan's performance has also been rated as
very satisfactory since his appointment as a board member
in 1999.
"SCRA faces on-going challenges to
achieve its corporate objectives and deliver effective
outcomes for children who have offended, are at risk, or
are in need of care and protection. Scottish Ministers
attach considerable importance to the continuing
development of the children's hearing system - at which
SCRA lies at the core - and a strategic review is needs to
be undertaken if the organisation is to deal with the many
challenges of the 21st Century.
"The SCRA Board plays a vital role in
addressing these challenges. I believe Anne McNeill's
appointment as deputy chair and re-appointment of Harry
McGuigan as board member will greatly assist the chair and
the Board in their deliberations on how best to operate and
deliver these services for children in need of care and
protection in Scotland."
Anne McNeill has no record of any
previous political activity. As a consultant working
internationally on modernising government programmes, she
has extensive experience of organisational change and
development. She is also currently involved in advising the
Community Planning Process in the Scottish Borders on
projects and funding issues, some of which are designed to
address the needs of children and young people at risk of
exclusion from education and employment.
Councillor McGuigan is a resident of
Bellshill and married with two children. His political
career began in 1984 when he was elected to Motherwell
District Council to represent the Bellshill North Ward. In
1995 he was elected leader of the controlling Labour Group
on the shadow North Lanarkshire Council and following the
new Council's first meeting was elected as North
Lanarkshire Council's first council leader.
As Deputy Chair, Anne McNeill's
appointment carries with it a time commitment of two days a
month and attracts remuneration of £7,030 a year.
Councillor McGuigan's re-appointment as a board member
carries a time commitment of one and a half days a month,
and remuneration of
£ 4,230 a year.
The SCRA was established on 1 April
1995 as a Non-Departmental Public Body under section 128 of
the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and became
operational on the 1 April 1996. The general purpose of the
SCRA is to facilitate the work of Children's Reporters for
children; to deploy and manage staff to carry out that
work; and, to provide suitable accommodation for children's
hearings. SCRA operates within a framework agreed with
Scottish Ministers. The Board consists of a chair, deputy
chair and six board members, including the Principal
Reporter who serves in an ex-officio capacity. Based in
Stirling, SCRA manages more than 30 offices throughout
Scotland and employs around 390 staff. Projected
expenditure in the financial year 2003/04 amounts to
£21m.
The position of deputy chair has been
vacant since April this year when Sheriff Douglas Allan
stepped down from the Board on March 31 2003 after serving
for seven years. All existing members of the Board were
invited to submit a note of interest. Only one expression
of interest for the position of deputy chair was received
from Anne McNeill.
Both public appointments were made in
accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Office
of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.