This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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SEPA appointments announced
05/02/2004
The appointment of two new members to the Board of the
Scottish Environment Protection Agency was announced today.
Councillor Drew Edward and Dr Lesley Bloomer will
join the Board with effect from January 1, 2004 and run to
December 31, 2007
The posts are part-time and currently attract a
remuneration of £5,909 for a commitment of two days per
month. This remuneration is subject to annual review by
the Scottish Executive.
Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development
Allan Wilson said:
"I am delighted that Councillor Drew Edward and Dr
Lesley Bloomer have accepted my invitation to serve as
members of the Board of the Scottish Environment Protection
Agency.
"I am grateful for the valuable contribution and
personal commitment shown by all SEPA Board members and
have previously thanked Stanley Dagg and Brian Furness who
retired from the Board in December.
"SEPA has faced particular challenges in recent years as
a result of new responsibilities and organisational
changes. I am aware of the vital role the Board has played
in enabling SEPA to meet these.
"The Agency continues to be a key player in protecting
and enhancing the quality of Scotland's environment. The
Board has a crucial part to play in taking this forward and
I am confident that we have the right mix of skills and
expertise to do so. I look forward to working in
partnership with all SEPA's Board members."
SEPA was established as an executive non departmental
public body (NDPB) under the Environment Act 1995, with
responsibility for environment protection in Scotland. It
became fully operational in 1996, has a total projected
expenditure of £47 million for 2003 04 and employs around
950 staff at 22 locations across Scotland.
The Agency operates within a framework agreed with the
Scottish Ministers.
Its aim is to provide an efficient and integrated
environment protection system for Scotland which will both
improve the environment and contribute to the Executive's
goal of sustainable development.
Drew Edward is a Chartered Engineer and Member of the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He spent his early
working life in power generation and subsequently in
fertiliser manufacturing and agricultural merchanting.
From 1992 to 1999 he worked as a safety, health and
environment adviser with W L Gore and Associates.
As a Labour councillor on Fife Council since 1999 he has
become heavily involved in environmental issues including
development of the Fife Area Waste Plan. Mr Edward is
currently the Council's spokesperson on resources and
chairs the Council's superannuation fund and a number of
other sub committees. He is a member of the Scottish
Labour Party. Mr Edward holds no other Ministerial
appointments.
Lesley Bloomer holds a science doctorate and an MBA in
business administration. Her early career was as a
research scientist with the Institute of Marine
Environmental Research, Plymouth before working in the
public and business sectors including with the Scottish
Development Agency/Scottish Enterprise from 1988 to 1995.
From 1997 to 2003 Dr Bloomer worked with Accounts
Commission/Audit Scotland, latterly as Director,
Performance Audit - Education, Enterprise and Justice, and
is now pursuing a portfolio career.
She was appointed to the Care Commission in September
2003 for which she receives an annual remuneration of
£7,336. Dr Bloomer has not been politically active in the
last five years.
These Ministerial Public Appointments were made in
accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Office
of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. An
independent assessor was involved in the selection
process. A total of 280 candidates were considered from a
variety of sources but mainly in response to an
advertisement in the press.
Information on the political affiliations of
candidates was not taken into account in the decisions on
appointments.
The other SEPA Board members are:
Sir Ken Collins (Chair), Nick Kuenssberg (Deputy
Chair), Brian Clark, Susan Clark, Fred Edwards, Bill
Howatson, Russell Imrie, Barry Rose, Susan Walker and
Campbell Gemmell (Chief Executive).