Sir William (Bill) Callaghan has been appointed Chair of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), the body responsible for managing England’s marine resources, by Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman.
Sir Bill will chair the Board, which oversees the strategic direction of the MMO, from 1 May 2011 for three years. He will be paid £110,000 a year pro rata, based on eight days work a month.
This appointment has been made by the Secretary of State in accordance with guidance issued by the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Commissioner is independent of the Government and was appointed to follow up certain recommendations of the Nolan Committee. The intention of the Code is to provide an efficient and transparent appointments system in which both candidates and the public can have confidence.
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for the political activities of appointees to be made public. Sir Bill Callaghan has not declared any political activity.
The Secretary of State thanked Dr Derek Langslow, who has been Acting Chair of the MMO since December 2010, for his calm and authoritative leadership.
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Source: defra, May 10, 2011;