Parliament Workbench
Data: Motions & questions to 19 Nov 2026

Written Question · S1W-25379 · Session 1

When the tenure of the present Chairman of Caledonian MacBrayne expires; whether the post will be publicly advertised; whether there will b…

Answered Asked by Fergus Ewing SNP Lodged 25 Apr 2002

The question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the tenure of the present Chairman of Caledonian MacBrayne expires; whether the post will be publicly advertised; whether there will be an opportunity for the users of Caledonian MacBrayne services to participate in any selection process for the appointment of a new chairman; what selection process will be used to decide which candidates will be interviewed for the post of chairman; what criteria will be employed to ensure that the selection process for an appointment is fair and impartial, and whether the criticism expressed by Dame Rennie Fritchie, the Commissioner for Public Appointments, regarding the appointment process of the present chairman will be taken into account in any new selection process.

The answer

Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 9 May 2002 · 14 days after it was lodged, on time

The present Chairman of Caledonian MacBrayne was appointed for a three-year term from 1 August 1999. An announcement relating to the future arrangements for this post will be made in due course. The processes and procedures for public appointments, including the involvement of independent advisers, are set out in the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) Code of Practice. These procedures are strictly followed for all appointments to Caledonian MacBrayne. They were introduced to ensure the selection process for public appointments is fair, impartial and transparent. The commissioner's comments in relation to the 1999 appointment process have been borne in mind in all subsequent appointment processes, including those relating to Caledonian MacBrayne. One of the main conclusions of the commissioner's report was that the present chairman was appointed on merit.

In the Official Report

No contribution in the Official Report cites S1W-25379 by reference.