Statistics and Registration Service Bill

moved Amendment No. 21: 21: Clause 3, page 2, line 20, at end insert— ““( ) Appointments may be made under this section only if the persons appointed have been selected by way of an open competition overseen by persons who are independent of the Board and the Treasury.”” The noble Lord said: It is to be hoped that this amendment will continue the useful debate in another place on the appointment of non-executive board members. The Minister made it clear that he saw no loss of independence for the board if the Minister played the primary role in deciding the appointment. Indeed, he considered it ““inappropriate”” for anyone else to make the decision, given the executive function of the board. Although some would think that this argument is rather misapplied, given that the Treasury is only to appoint the non-executive members of the board, the amendment is intended not to deal with who makes the appointment but to probe what procedure the Government are planning to use to make the appointments. The Minister in another place made the commitment to, "““make appointments entirely in line with the guidance of the Commissioner for Public Appointments””.—[Official Report, Commons Statistics and Registration Service Bill Committee, 16/1/07; col. 69.]" Obviously it is good to hear that, especially as the code of practice includes a requirement for every appointment to be scrutinised by an independent panel. It is to be hoped that the noble Lord will agree to put this reassurance in the Bill, as our amendment would do. In addition, it would be a pleasure to hear just how the Minister will decide on who should be appointed. There has been a trend towards the use of shortlists that are often not very short at all, off which the Minister is able to choose his preferred appointee. This is clearly less independent than being givena single recommendation by an independent panel, which the Minister can reject or approve as he sees fit. Will the noble Lord reassure the House that this appointment will be filled after an independent recommendation of just one person? I beg to move.