56/00
27 April 2000
TOP BUSINESSMAN TO SPEARHEAD CREATION OF NEW WORKING AGE AGENCY
Work on the design of the new working age agency is to be led by Richard Lapthorne, the chairman of Nycomed Amersham and former vice chairman of British Aerospace, the Government announced today.
The new agency, which will draw together the Employment Service and the parts of the Benefits Agency which support people of working age, will deliver a single, integrated service to benefit claimants of working age and to employers. It will be established as soon as possible in 2001.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Andrew Smith said:
"I am delighted that Richard will lead this work. His track record of managing complex organisational change in the private sector will be invaluable in getting the agency off to a good start."
Secretary of State for Education and Employment, David Blunkett said:
"I welcome the appointment of Richard Lapthorne. He will be a key player in the success of the new agency and in ensuring that it has a clear work focus, both helping people to find jobs and in providing a responsive service to employers."
Secretary of State for Social Security, Alistair Darling said:
"We're building a brand new agency that will be more than the sum parts of the benefits Agency and the Employment Service. It will draw on the best experience of both the public and private sectors to provide a far more focussed service to its customers."
Richard Lapthorne will head the project team which will design and develop the agency. Based in the Treasury, the team will include civil servants from the Department of Social Security and the Department for Education and Employment.
Its work will be overseen by a project board which will include Andrew Smith, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Blunkett, Secretary of State for Education and Employment and Alistair Darling, Secretary of State for Social Security.
The Chief Executive of the new agency will be recruited by open competition later in this year.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The Prime Minister announced the formation of the new working age agency to Parliament on 16 March 2000 (see DSS press release 00/070).
Richard Lapthorne was recruited as Finance Director of British Aerospace plc from July 1992 and was appointed Vice Chairman in April 1998, retiring in September 1999. During his time at BAe, he was a key member of the management team responsible for transforming the company into Europe's leading aerospace and defence company. He has held a number of positions within industry since his first job working for Unilever in 1965, ranging from Chief Accountant for Food Industries Ltd in 1971, Commercial Director of Synthetic Resins Ltd in 1975, to Commercial Director of Crosfield Chemicals in 1981. Mr Lapthorne joined Courtaulds plc in October 1983 as Group Financial Controller and was appointed Finance Director in May 1986. He is currently non-executive Chairman of Nycomed Amersham plc, Morse Holdings plc and Avecia Ltd. He is a non-executive director of Robert Fleming Holdings and of Oasis International Leasing in Abu Dhabi.
Mr Lapthorne has had much experience working with government departments in particular with the DTI. In 1988 he was a member of the Strategic Defence Review panel, and for the past eighteen months he has been working with the Navy Board producing its first long-term strategic plan. Mr Lapthorne is a Trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and a member of the Advisory Board of the Cancer Research Campaign. He was awarded the CBE for services to the British aerospace industry in 1997.