House of Lords Appointments Commission Start Search for New Peers
The new Commission, set up by the Prime Minister to recommend new
non–political members for the House of Lords, began its search for
nominations today.
Launching the Commission, Chairman Dennis Stevenson said:
"Today marks a historic change in the way that non party political
members of the House of Lords are appointed. From this moment an open
process exists. Anyone in the UK can nominate him or herself or nominate
someone else.
We are looking for people with integrity, independence and a significant
record of achievement in their chosen field or way of life – people with
the skills and experience to contribute effectively to the work of the
House of Lords, We also hope that by running an open and fair process we
can encourage outstanding applications from groups who have been
under–represented in the Lords.
We are determined to cast the net as widely as possible. Today we have
started to mail or email over 5,000 public, private and voluntary
organisations to tell them how they can nominate outstanding individuals.
In the next few weeks Commissioners will be holding meetings throughout the
UK to brief leaders of the community on how the system will work.
In addition, members of the public can obtain an information pack from the
Commission which will give details of the general qualities we are looking
for and the sort of information we need in a nomination. You can phone the
nomination line for a pack on 0117982 1171 or download information from our
website www.houseoflordsappointmentscommission.gov.uk
We urge everyone to read the guidelines and criteria for selection very
carefully. We are keen to stimulate applications from talented people all
over the UK. The reality, however, is that we will be making a very small
number of recommendations every year - in the past between 8–10, the exact
number of recommendations to be fixed by the Prime Minister – and we do not
want to encourage unrealistic nominations.
The closing date for this round of nominations is 17th November and we hope
to make our first recommendations in Spring 2001. As this is a completely
new process, timing will ultimately depend on the number and suitability of
nominations we receive."
Notes to Editors
1. Media enquiries about the work of the House of Lords Appointments
Commission should go to Maggie O’Boyle on 07714 530 626.
2. For an information pack please phone 0117 982 1171 or visit
www.houseoflordsappointmentscommission.gov.uk or write to House of Lords
Appointments Commission, 35 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BQ.
3. The Appointments Commission is a non–statutory advisory body which will
make recommendations to Her Majesty the Queen on non-party political life
peers and will also vet for propriety all future recommendations for
peerages. The Prime Minister will inform the Commission of the number of
recommendations to be invited but has undertaken to recommend those
nominations to Her Majesty except in the most exceptional circumstances,
such as endangering the security of the realm.
4. The membership and remit of the House of Lords Appointments Commission
was announced by the Prime Minister on 4 May 2000.
5. The Chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission is Lord
Dennis Stevenson, Chairman of Pearson plc and Halifax plc and a cross bench
peer in the House of Lords. The Commission comprises three other non-party
political members: Mrs Angela Sarkis CBE (Chief
Executive of the Church Urban Fund), Dame Deidre Hine (previously Chief
Medical Officer at the Welsh Office and Chairman of the Commission for
Health Improvement) and Mrs Felicity Huston (Chairman of the Northern
Ireland Consumer Committee for Electricity and previously the Deputy
Chairman of the General Consumer Council of Northern Ireland. These members
of the Commission were selected through an open process conducted in
accordance with the principles of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
The Commission also includes three members nominated by each of the three
main political parties: Baroness Brenda Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde (Labour),
Lord Douglas Hurd of Westwell (Conservative) and Lord Navnit Dhoiakia
(Liberal Democrat).
6. The Government announced its intention to establish the Appointments
Commission in the White Paper ‘Modernising Parliament Reforming the
House of Lords’
published in January 1999.
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