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New Chair appointed to CoRWM
18/07/2007
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead today welcomed the appointment of Robert Pickard as Chair Designate of the new Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM).
The reconstituted Committee will provide ongoing independent scrutiny and advice to the Scottish government, UK Government and other devolved administrations on the long term management, including interim storage and disposal, of radioactive waste.
Announcing the appointment, Mr Lochhead said:
"I am delighted to confirm today's appointment by Ministers from all the UK governments. I am confident that Professor Pickard is the right person to take up this challenging role and is well equipped to lead CoRWM effectively.
"Mr Pickard will be tasked with heading up a committee to scrutinise and advise government on the long term management of radioactive waste, including robust interim storage. As such we have sought to be actively involved in the recruitment of both the Chair and members of the Committee."
The appointment is made in accordance with the OCPA Code of Practice. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity (if any declared) to be made public. Professor Pickard declared no political activity.
Following the policy announcement on 25 June 2007, the Scottish Government made it clear that it would not be associated with any further work on progressing the specific issue of deep geological disposal. However, they intend to remain engaged with the CoRWM process insofar as it deals with recommendations for storage and research.
This Ministerial Public Appointment was made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA).
Professor Robert Pickard is Chairman of the Consumers' Association Which?, Director-General of the British Nutrition Foundation, Emeritus Professor of Neurobiology at the University of Cardiff, Visiting Professor at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, and Fellow of the Institute of Biology and the Royal Society of Medicine. For the Department of Health and the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, Professor Pickard is also Chairman of the national NGO Forum, which facilitates the interface between government policymakers and 94 NGOs working for health improvements. He is an international authority on the biology of honeybees and pioneered the development of solid-state, neural microbiosensors in the UK.
As Chair Designate, Professor Pickard will now play a part in the appointment of up to 14 members for the Committee. It is planned that the Committee will be in place from Autumn 2007 and appointments will be for a duration of three years. Remuneration for the Chair is £450 per day and is part time with a commitment of on average 1½ days per week. He will also be paid reasonable costs of travel, meals and accommodation while attending meetings or visits organised by the Committee.
The reconstituted CoRWM will not be representative of organisation or sectoral interests and the skills and expertise which will need to be available to the Committee will vary depending on the programme of work. For example, relevant skills may include: radioactive waste management, nuclear science, radiation protection, environmental law, environment issues, social science (including public and stakeholder engagement), geology/ geochemistry/hydrogeology, finance/economics, civil engineering/underground construction technology, repository performance/safety issues, materials science, environmental impact assessment, local government, planning, regulatory processes and ethics.