House of Lords Appointments Commission - New Non-Party-Political Peers
Seven new non-party-political peers recommended by the House of Lords
Appointments Commission were announced today.
The new non-party-political peers are:
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Colin Low, the blind Chairman of the RNIB and campaigner for
disability rights;
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David Rowe-Beddoe, a leading international businessman who has played an
active role in economic and cultural development in Wales;
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Elizabeth Butler - Sloss, the first woman to become President of the
Family Division of the High Court;
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Geoffrey Dear, previously HM Inspector of Constabulary, with particular
experience in social problems in both urban and rural communities;
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Kamlesh Patel, an academic and government advisor on mental health, drugs
and ethnicity;
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Karan Bilimoria, a leading young entrepreneur; founder and Chief
Executive of Cobra Beer;
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Molly Meacher, an international expert in employment and welfare issues.
They will sit on the crossbenches in the Upper House.
Notes to Editors
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Media enquiries about the work of the House of Lords Appointments
Commission should go to Maggie O'Boyle on 07880 740627.
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Further information on the Appointments Commission can be obtained from
www.lordsappointments.gov.uk
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The Appointments Commission is a non-statutory advisory body set up by
the Prime Minister to make recommendations for non-party-political
peerages. The Commission’s remit is to find people of distinction who
will bring authority and expertise to the House of Lords. The Commission
recommends individuals on merit and their ability to contribute
effectively to the work of the House.
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Professor Colin Low, Chairman of the Royal National
Institute of the Blind and President of the European Blind Union. He has
served on the Government’s Disability Rights Task Force and the
Disability Rights Commission. Professor Low is also an honorary Visiting
Professor at the Rehabilitation Resource Centre at City University.
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Sir David Rowe-Beddoe, Chairman of the Wales Millennium
Centre since 2001. Previously he was Chairman of the Welsh Development
Agency from 1993-2001. Sir David’s business career with multi-national
companies includes De La Rue plc and Revlon Inc. Today he is a Director
of a number of companies, President of the Royal Welsh College of Music
and Drama, and Chairman of the Representative Body of the Church in
Wales.
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Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, President of the Family
Division of the High Court until 2005. Prior to this she sat on the Court
of Appeal and was a High Court Judge in the Family Division. Dame
Elizabeth was Chairman of the Commission for the Appointment of the
Archbishop of Canterbury in 2002. She retired last year as Chairman of
the Security Commission and is currently Chancellor of the University of
the West of England.
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Sir Geoffrey Dear, HM Inspector of Constabulary from
1990-1997. Previously he was Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police
Force. He served as Assistant Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police
until 1985. Sir Geoffrey has considerable experience within the wider
Criminal Justice system, and of social problems in both urban and rural
communities. He is currently non-executive Chairman of four companies,
Deputy Lieutenant of Worcestershire and is a trustee of several
charities.
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Professor Kamlesh Patel, Head of the Centre for
Ethnicity and Health at the University of Central Lancashire. He is also
Chairman of the Mental Health Act Commission, National Director and
Chairman of the Government’s Black and minority ethnic Mental Health
Programme Board. Professor Patel is also a non-executive Board Member of
the National Treatment Agency and Patron of National Men’s Health Forum.
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Karan Bilimoria, founder and Chief Executive of Cobra
Beer Limited. Mr Bilimoria has a number of public appointments including
Membership of the Government’s National Employment Panel and UK Chairman
of the Indo-British Partnership. He is also a Deputy Lieutenant of
Greater London and the Chancellor of Thames Valley University.
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Molly Meacher, Chairman of the East London and City
Mental Health Trust. She was formerly Chairman of the Security Industry
Authority and before that Deputy Chairman of the Police Complaints
Authority. She has also worked as Chief Adviser to the Russian Government
on the development of the Federal Employment Service and as Director of
the Campaign for Work. She was a Mental Health Act Commissioner until
1992.
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The House of Lords Appointments Commission has now recommended a total of
36 non-party-political peerages to the Prime Minister.
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The membership of the House of Lords Appointments Commission was
announced by the Prime Minister on 4th May 2000. The Chairman, Dennis
Stevenson, is a crossbench peer. The Commission comprises two other
non-party political members: Angela Sarkis and Felicity Huston. These
members of the Commission were selected through open competition. 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
Dholakia (Liberal Democrat).
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