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Local Government Finance Review Team Named
30/06/04
The group who will conduct the Independent Review of Local
Government Finance were named today.
Responding to a Parliamentary Question from Bristow Muldoon
MSP, Minister for Finance and Public Services Andy Kerr confirmed
membership of the team which has agreed to conduct the Independent
Review of Local Government Finance:
Mr Kerr added:
I believe we have an excellent team to undertake this extremely
important review.
I am grateful to Sir Peter Burt for agreeing to lead the
review and to Professor John Baillie, Peter Daniels and Janet
Lowe for agreeing to complete the review team. All have been
chosen for their experience and ability. They will gather
evidence, consider that evidence and then make recommendations
to Ministers.
The Review will examine the different forms of local taxation
- including reform of the council tax. It will look at the
impact of any changes, including the implications for the
rest of the local government finance system and any wider
economic impact.
The remit of the Independent Review of Local Government Finance
was announced to Parliament on June 16 2004. It's remit is
to review the different forms of local taxation, including
reform of the Council Tax, against criteria set by the Executive,
to identify the pros and cons of implementing any changes
to the local taxation system in Scotland, including the practicalities
and the implications for the rest of the local government
finance system and any wider economic impact, and to make
recommendations.
Sir Peter Burt (Chair)
Peter had a long and distinguished career with the Bank
of Scotland. Born in East Africa, he was educated in Scotland.
He graduated from St Andrews University and from the University
of Pennsylvania's Wharton School before working in the computer
industry in California and Scotland. He joined the Bank of
Scotland in 1975 and became Treasurer and Chief General Manager
in 1988 and Chief Executive in 1996. On the Bank's merger
with Halifax in 2001, he became Executive Deputy Chairman
of HBOS plc until his retiral in 2003. He was appointed Chairman
of ITV in February of this year and holds a number of other
Board appointments.
Professor John Baillie
John is Visiting Professor of Accountancy at the University
of Glasgow. He is a former partner of KPMG (from 1976 to
1993). He has held various posts in the Institute of Chartered
Accountants of Scotland, is a Member of the Reporting Panel
of the Competition Commission (2002 to date) and a member
of the Accounts Commission (2003 to date).
Peter Daniels
Peter has been Chief Executive of East Renfrewshire Council
since 1995. He is due to retire from this position in September.
Prior to that he was Chief Executive of Clydesdale District
Council for 12 years.
Mr Daniels was also a member of East Kilbride District Council
from 1979 and 1981. He has undertaken no political activities
since then. He has been a member of the Scottish Records Advisory
Council since 1998 and more recently was Chair of the Working
Group set up by Ministers to look at the role of off licenses
in the community.
Janet Lowe
Janet has been Principal of Lauder College of Further Education
since 1996, and is a Director of the Association of Scottish
Colleges. She has been a member of the Court of Heriot Watt
University since 1999, and a member of the Board of Scottish
Enterprise since 1998.
Timescale and next steps
The Review has been set up as an independent, short-term
working group. As bodies of this sort are expected to last
for less than 2 years, they do not fall within the formal
remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland
and the requirements of her Code of Practice are not therefore
applicable. The exact work programme will be subject to
discussion with the chair and the appointed members of the
Review Team.
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