Appendix 2: Press release
Preferred candidate for new Environment
Agency Chair announced
Philip Dilley selected as the preferred option
to succeed Lord Chris Smith.
Following an open competition, the Secretary
of State, Owen Paterson is pleased to announce Philip Dilley has
been selected as the Government's preferred candidate to succeed
Lord Chris Smith in the post of Chair of the Environment Agency,
the independent body which delivers Government policy for the
protection and enhancement of the environment.
Mr Dilley was identified following a
rigorous selection process which was validated by an independent
assessor from the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
The recruitment process was conducted in accordance with the Commissioner
for Public Appointment's Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments
to Public Bodies.
The Secretary of State has invited the
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee to hold a
pre-appointment hearing and to report on Mr Dilley's suitability
for the post. This is in line with the Government's commitment
to strengthen the role of Parliament in scrutinising major public
appointments.
Pre-appointment hearings enable select
committees to take evidence from preferred candidates for major
public appointments before they are appointed. Hearings are in
public and involve the select committee publishing a report setting
out their views on the candidate's suitability for the post. Pre-appointment
hearings are non-binding but Ministers will consider the committee's
views before deciding whether to proceed with an appointment.
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. Mr Dilley confirms that he is not a member
of any political party and has not made any political donations.
However, during his time as Executive Chairman, the consulting
group, Arup, have made contributions to All Party Parliamentary
Groups and Charities as well as a £2k donation to the Scottish
Labour Party in 2009 to recover the cost of tickets to a gala
dinner hosting the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
Biography
Philip Dilley was until recently the
Executive Chairman of Arup, a trust-owned global planning, engineering,
and project management consulting group with fee revenues in excess
of £1bn and over 11,000 staff members. His role carried responsibility
for the group performance and brand. He is currently Chairman
of London First, a business membership organisation with the mission
to make London the best city in the world in which to do business.
It influences national and local government policies and investment
decisions to support London's global competitiveness. He is also
a member of the Governing Council of Imperial College, a world-renowned
British university carrying out undergraduate and post-graduate
teaching and research in science, engineering, medicine and business.
From 2011 to 2013 Philip was a member
of the PM's Advisory Group, which comprises business leaders from
sectors of strategic importance to the UK who are invited to provide
regular, high level advice to the Prime Minister on critical business
and economic issues facing the country.
Philip lives in Central London with
his wife, June. They have three grown-up children.
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