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Status and Devolution
12. EPAQS is an advisory Non-Departmental Public Body (aNDPB). Following devolution it has also been designated a Jointly Established Body (JEB) under the Scotland Act 1999. Appointments for the Chair and members therefore are made following the Cabinet Office and Departmental Guidance on these matters (Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments Guidance on Appointments to Public Bodies, July 1998). The devolved administrations participate in the development of the future work programme, and in appointments to the Panel, which are made in the name of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Scottish Ministers, National Assembly for Wales and the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland. Assessors from each of the devolved administrations attend EPAQS meetings.
Administration and Financial Statement
13. The Panel meets four times per year at the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) in London. EPAQS is served by a joint secretariat of DETR and the Department of Health.
14. The Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) funds the Panel on behalf of the Department of Health and the devolved administrations. The DETR also funds support for the Secretariat of the Panel via a consultancy to University College London (UCL). A statement for the financial year 1999/2000 is given at Annex 2.
Membership
15. Professor Anthony Seaton, Head of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at Aberdeen University Medical School, has chaired the Panel from the start. The Department has invited members of the Panel to join on the basis of their expertise in the medical and air pollution fields rather than any notion of representation of interests. Membership has varied over the past five years, in part reflecting the changing subject matter addressed by the Panel. A list of the current membership with biographical details can be found at Annex 3.
16. As Chairman, Professor Seaton receives an honorarium of £183 for each day spent on EPAQS work (from August 1999). Between 1991 and 1999, he received an average of £2000 per annum for his time. The members of the Panel have received honoraria of £137 per day (maximum 8 days) for their advice (August 1998 to August 1999), which rose to £141 per day from August 1999. Prior to these dates no payments from the Department were made to members. Payments for travel expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Panel can be claimed by both members and the Chairman following senior civil service guidelines.
Work Programme
17. In the period 1991-1999, the Panel was responsible for producing a series of reports containing recommendations on a list of pollutants agreed with the Department. These reports cover benzene, ozone, 1,3-butadiene, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, particles, nitrogen dioxide, lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Annex 4). The reports are available in hardcopy as priced publications from The Stationery Office or free via the EPAQS Internet site.
Topics Covered by Panel in 1999
18. During 1999 EPAQS have considered polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and particles. The report on PAHs was published on 27th July 1999. The Panel published a draft report on airborne particles on 21st June 2000 for public comment.
Future Work Programme19. In 1999 EPAQS was asked by Ministers to undertake the following work:
- revisit 1,3-butadiene, in the light of new knowledge which has become available since the publication of the Panel first report on this pollutant in 1994. This work has begun following the publication in draft of the airborne particles report.
Members Interests
20. The list of members interests as at December 2000 is given at Annex 5. This is also available on the EPAQS website (http://environment.detr.gov.uk/airq/aqs/). The following are the kinds of interests that Panel members are asked to declare for the Register of Interests.
1. Companies, partnerships, trusts or other bodies of which the member is the paid employee, partner or proprietor.
2. Directorships of companies.
3. Non-profit making organisations (e.g. charities) where the member or their close family are Trustees, or on the Committee of management or other controlling body and which might receive grants, carry out activities designed to promote or develop the organisation, or have other significant dealings with the organisation.
4. Companies and organisations in which the member or their family or close associates:
- has/have a controlling interest; or
- is/are a Director or partner; or
- has/have shares or securities and the number of shares therein; and
- could be involved in the supply of goods or services to, or have business dealings with, the organisation.
5. Membership of local authorities, health authorities and trusts, Training and Enterprise Councils, the Magistrates bench, and relevant voluntary sector bodies.
Code of Practice
21. EPAQS has now implemented the Cabinet Office Code of Practice for the Chair and Members (Annex 6). This sets out the way in which the Members should conduct themselves when carrying out their duties on the Panel.
Appointments Process
22. Appointments for the Chair and members have to follow the Cabinet Office (Office for Commissioner of Public Appointments) and Departmental Guidance on these matters. All member's appointments to EPAQS are made on the same basis, whilst the Chairman's position requires a more demanding process. Advisory NDPBs are allocated to a tier depending on the remuneration paid annually to the members and Chairman. Tier 3 - posts in receipt of £3001 per annum or more; Tier 2 - posts in receipt of up to £ 3000 per annum; Tier 1 - unpaid posts (except Travel and Subsistence).
23. Tier 2: Member's appointments are classified as Tier 2. The minimum requirements are as follows:
- As wide a field of candidates as possible must be established;
- Information packs will be supplied to interested individuals (containing an application form, job/person specification and details about the ANDPB);
- Application forms must be completed by all candidates;
- Selection will be on merit as judged against the agreed job/person criteria. It may be conducted by officials with the involvement of the Chair or anyone else to assist;
- An Independent Assessor must be used in the selection process;
- Appointments should be publicised at least quarterly;
- Monitor appointments for statistical purposes;
- Periodic publication of appointments;
- Formal interviews are not required, although some form of 'conversation with a purpose' should be held with those short-listed or selected for appointment. An Independent Assessor should be involved.
24. Tier 3 - The Chairman's appointment is classified as Tier 3. In addition to the needs for Tier 2 appointments, Tier 3 appointments also require the following:
- Information packs, containing application form, full details of the body, the job and person criteria, copies of the relevant Code of Practise and other relevant material, such as the annual report.
- Sources of candidates - it is not a requirement for advertisements to appear on national press, since it depends on the most effective mechanism for obtaining suitable candidates. Other sources of candidates include the Cabinet Office Public Appointments Unit; DETR lists; Nominating bodies and other interested organisations. Individuals can be targeted and sent an information pack with an explanatory letter;
- Selection process - advisory/scrutiny panel whose membership should include a representative from the sponsoring department, and the Panel or other interested persons or groups and an Independent Assessor. The panel may be used to draw up a short list and must scrutinise all candidates, regardless of how they were nominated. Some form of interview should take place and its nature minuted. Ministers must be offered a choice of candidates.
- Length of appointment - guidance recommends that appointments should be for between 3-5 years with a maximum period of 10 years for consecutive appointments.
- All appointments should be publicised through press notices, which should include a short description of the body and its functions; a brief summary of the appointee's career/experience; details of the appointee's response to the political activities question; any other ministerial appointments held and any remuneration received; length of appointment and whether it is a paid or unpaid post.
Published 16 January 2001
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