Appendix 2: Position specification
The Commission
The House of Lords Appointments Commission is an
advisory, non-departmental public body, with two core functions:
- to recommend individuals for
appointment as non-party-political life peers;
- to vet most nominations for life peers, including
those nominated by the UK political parties, to ensure the highest
standards of propriety.
The Commission was established in May 2000 as part
of the transitional arrangements for reform of the House of Lords.
The current membership of the Commission includes
representatives of the three major political parties in the House
of Lords, two externally recruited independent members and an
externally recruited independent Chairman, as follows:
- Lord Stevenson of Coddenham,
cross-bench peer, Commission Chair;
- Angela Sarkis, independent member;
- Felicity Huston, independent member;
- Lord Hurd of Westwell, for the Conservative Party;
- Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde, for the Labour
Party;
- Lord Dholakia, for the Liberal Democrat Party.
The work of the Commission should be seen against
the background of, and make a significant contribution to, the
shaping of a reformed second chamber. It also has a role in the
effectiveness of the existing House of Lords. There is now opportunity
for the Commission to extend its remit beyond its original roles,
to address the following:
- the further development of
robust, transparent and rigorous procedures to underpin core activities;
- the identification of innovative ways of broadening
the "pool" of individuals to be considered for peerages
by the Commission;
- the maintenance of active relations with Peers
who have been through the Commission's processes and the assessment
of the effectiveness of the Commission's appointees.
The Roles
The incumbent Chair and the two independent Members
complete their terms in mid-2008; there is, in addition, a third
independent member's vacancy. The Cabinet Office invites applications
for the post of Chair and Members. Applications for Chair may
also be considered for Member vacancies, should candidates desire.
Candidate Profile
The successful Chair and Members will need to demonstrate
with evidence:
- a track record of success in
contributing at the highest level to the running of an organisation
in the public, private or voluntary sector, and of dealing with
complex issues;
- prior significant and successful experience of
operating on a Board, at a national level, and of contributing
to board decision making;
- evidence of the exercise of sound judgement -
about people and issues - with the ability to assimilate evidence
on wide-ranging topics rapidly, drill down through the detail
to highlight issues, and reach logical conclusions;
- an understanding of the legislature and the legislative
process;
- a strong belief in the importance of the role
played by the House of Lords in the parliamentary process;
- strong process skills, and a belief in their
importance, and in transparency and openness;
- absolute personal and professional integrity;
- an inclusive approach, with a belief in the importance
of embracing diversity in its broadest sense.
In addition, the Chair will need to demonstrate:
- experience of successfully
chairing a high profile and influential Board or Committee;
- excellent communication skills, including managing
the media, and the ability to act as a spokesperson for the Commission;
- proven success in managing a diverse team of
influential people.
Applicants will be aware that these are very high
profile appointments. Their lives and behaviour may be subject
to public scrutiny. All applicants will be asked to complete a
declaration about their political activities in the last five
years. They should be politically impartial in their work on the
Commission.
Applicants should be aware that they would be ineligible
for consideration for appointment to the House of Lords by the
Commission (or its successors) while they are members of the Commission
and for a period thereafter.
Pre-appointment Hearing for the Chair
In line with Government proposals to increase Parliamentary
scrutiny of appointments to key posts, the preferred candidate
for the post of Chair may be required to appear before a Parliamentary
Select Committee prior to appointment. The hearing would be in
public and would involve MPs questioning the candidate on his
or her suitability for the post.
Timing, time commitment and remuneration
The successful applicant for the Chair post should
be available to take up the post from the Autumn of 2008. The
successful applicants for the Member posts should ideally be available
to take up post in July 2008. Both Chair and Members will be appointed
by the Prime Minister, for single non-renewable terms of five
years.
These are part-time appointments. The Chair can expect
an average time commitment of about two days per month. The time
commitment will be subject to some variation, depending on the
work of the Commission. Remuneration for the Chair is £8,000
per annum, provided the post holder is not separately in receipt
of a salary from public funds.
Members can expect an average time commitment of
about one day per month. The time commitment will be subject to
some variation, depending on the work of the Commission. Remuneration
for Members is £3,000 per annum, provided the post holder
is not separately in receipt of a salary from public funds.
Relevant expenses are reimbursed for both the Chair
and Members.
Further details about the Committee and its work,
including past reports published by the Committee, annual reports
and the Committee's Code of Practice can be found on its website
at http://www.lordsappointments.gov.uk.
The process of making appointments will follow the
Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments
which encompasses equality of opportunity.
Candidates who apply for both the Chair and Member(s)
appointments may be required to participate in separate selection
processes.
The Selection Panel for the Chair appointment will
be chaired by Sir Gus O'Donnell KCB, Cabinet Secretary and Head
of the Home Civil Service.
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