This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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First Commissioner for Public Appointments
06/05/2004
The Parliament has nominated Karen Carlton to be
appointed by the Queen as the first Commissioner for Public
Appointments in Scotland.
Minister for Finance and Public Services Andy Kerr
said:
"The Executive warmly welcomes this appointment as it
marks a key step forward in our drive to strengthen the
Scottish public appointments process.
"The creation of a Scottish Commissioner will help
provide Scotland with a robust, open and fully accountable
public appointments system based on merit and commanding
public confidence.
"It will also ensure that the system is fully responsive
to the needs of Scottish people, especially on action to
encourage wider representation on the boards of our public
bodies."
The appointment represents the culmination of efforts
set in train by the Executive's 2001 review of Scottish
public bodies to modernise appointment arrangements.
It draws near to completion implementation of the
proposals contained in the Public Appointments and Public
Bodies etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 which was introduced by the
Executive to the Parliament in June 2002. The proposal to
create a Scottish Commissioner is central to the
Executive's plans to provide Scotland with an independent,
accountable and open public appointments system, based on
merit that commands public confidence.
The Executive has long been of the opinion that a
Commissioner with a more intimate knowledge of Scottish
Public Bodies and of Scottish communities and interest
groups will ensure that our public appointments system
responds to the needs of Scottish people in a modern way,
especially in relation to the key issue of diversity.