What the outcome was of the further review of the status, organisation and remit of the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland, as referred…

I can now confirm theoutcome of the review and our proposals to replace the Royal Fine ArtCommission with a new non-statutory, advisory, non-departmental public body (NDPB)which will have a wider range of activities and will commence formal activitiesearly in 2005.
Ministers greatly appreciatethe valuable work carried out by the commission, but we believe that, in adevolved Scotland, the time has come to modernise it and itsfunctions. We are committed to retaining a national design review body, butpropose that the Royal Warrant is withdrawn and a successor body established totake over the functions of the commission. Her Majesty the Queen has given herconsent to the proposed change.
We see no need for a statutorybasis for the new body.
It is our preliminaryintention that the successor body will be called Architecture and Design Scotland;the intention is that a new name on these lines will signal the modernised roleof the organisation in line with other Scottish NDPB's and more accuratelyreflect the work of the organisation. It is our intention that Architecture andDesign Scotland will build on the current design review functions of the Royal Commission but will become a more proactive organisation, working inline with the aims of the Executive's national policy on architecture and theDesigning Places policy statement. We are in process of discussing the status,detailed structure and name of the new body with the current commissioners.
The overall objective isthat Architecture and Design Scotland will be an independent "champion" for goodarchitecture and design in Scotland. More emphasis will be placed on the promotion andadvocacy of the principles and benefits of good design to both the private and publicsector. It will therefore be important for Architecture and Design Scotland towork in a joined up way with other organisations, in accordance with theprinciples of Public Bodies: Proposals for Change. New activitiesundertaken to promote and encourage better design will include providing designadvice and training; organising seminars and conferences, and producingguidance where relevant.
Detailed guidance will beissued in due course by the Executive on the terms of reference of Architectureand Design Scotland to ensure that it will be an open, accountable andeffective organisation. In addition, Architecture and Design Scotlandwill publish a clear explanation of the criteria that will be used in carryingout the design review function and its wish to consult more widely withinterest groups and the general public.
We have arrived at theseproposals for modernisation after examining a variety of options for carryingout the proposed functions and exploring how the principles of PublicBodies: Proposals for Change can best be met. We believe that the role of “designchampion” and the provision of independent design advice to ministers, NDPBs,local authorities and developers must be carried out by an arms length body, toensure the acceptance of the organisation as an impartial provider of advice. Weare clear that this role could not be provided by any other existing body.
Architecture and Design Scotlandwill be clearly accountable to ministers and the people of Scotland,producing an annual report to Parliament which will detail how it has spent itsfunding and what activities have been carried out in the last year. Futurefunding allocations to Architecture and Design Scotland will take account of the value for money it demonstrates in these reports.
With the agreement ofCommissioner for Public Appointments, we intend to invite the currentCommissioners who are eligible and judged suitable for the wider role, tobecome board members of the new body and to serve out the remainder of theirexisting terms of office with Architecture and Design Scotland. Theremainder of the retiring commissioners will be replaced by new board membersappointed through open competition in