Transparency needed to bring light to this farce - Burnham

1.57.25pm GMT Thu 23rd Mar 2006

Eleanor Burnham AM, has today written to the Public Appointments Commissioner, Janet Gaymer, asking her to investigate Alun Pugh's bungled handling of appointing a new Chair of the Arts Council of Wales.

Mrs Burnham, Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Culture, said "I have written to the Public Appointments Commissioner about the serious concerns I have over the appointment of a new chair for the Arts Council for Wales by Alun Pugh.

"This has been a muddled and muddied appointments process. Alun Pugh seems to be writing his own farce. Alun Pugh hid behind the code of public appointments when he defended his sacking of Geraint Talfant Davies. The code clearly states that openness and transparency are central to the appointments process. Three months after giving Mr Davies his notice his position still hasn't been advertised and Alun Pugh has told us nothing.

"The code makes clear that ultimate responsible for the appointments process rests with Minister. Alun Pugh is the Minister responsible, and he must answer now the serious questions about what is happening.

"How can Mr Pugh expect to be trusted with financial control of the big six arts organisations if he can not conduct a simple appointments process?

"I and my opposition colleagues believe that Geraint Talfant Davies should remain in post until the Review of Arts is completed in 12 months time. Only then, when there is a clear direction for the Arts Council would it be appropriate to appoint a successor. A successor that could provide the leadership that Mr Pugh seems incapable of offering."

Notes:

1) The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) was set up following the 1995 Nolan report. The Commissioner's role is to regulate, monitor, report and advise on appointments made by UK Ministers and by members of the National Assembly for Wales to the boards of around 900 national and regional public bodies.

2) The Principles of the Code of Practice

Ministerial responsibility

The ultimate responsibility for appointments is with ministers.

Merit

All public appointments should be governed by the overriding principle of selection based on merit, by the well-informed choice of individuals who through their abilities, experience and qualities match the need of the public body in question.

Independent scrutiny

No appointment will take place without first being scrutinised by an independent panel or by a group including membership independent of the department filling the post.

Equal opportunities

Departments should sustain programmes to deliver equal opportunities principles.

Probity

Board members of public bodies must be committed to the principles and values of public service and perform their duties with integrity.

Openness and transparency

The principles of open government must be applied to the appointments process, its working must be transparent and information provided about the appointments made.

Proportionality

The appointments procedures need to be subject to the principle of proportionality, that is they should be appropriate for the nature of the post and the size and weight of its responsibilities.

END