Public appointments to advisory committees
Thursday 22 March 2012
The Annual Appointments Report includes details of the people appointed to the seven advisory committees for which FSA is responsible. It also includes diversity levels and progress against diversity targets.
Overview
The FSA is currently responsible for seven public bodies. These are the:
- Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs
- Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food
- Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes
- General Advisory Committee on Science
- Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment
- Social Science Research Committee
- Advisory Committee on Consumer Engagement
The FSA Chair is responsible for making appointments to these advisory committees (in some cases jointly with other Departments). Although appointments to these advisory committee are not regulated by the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA), the FSA still follows the OCPA principles as good practice and is committed to making public appointments based on merit and equal opportunities, with independent assessment, openness and transparency of process.
2009 to 2011 report
The diversity statistics for the seven advisory committees from 2009 to 2011 are:
| Position to date (as at 31 March 2011) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Total number of appointments | 100 | 98 | 89 |
| Women | 32 (32%) | 31 (31.63%) | 24 (26.96%) |
| Ethnic minorities | 5 (5%) | 4 (4.08%) | 4 (4.49%) |
| Disabled people | 1 (1%) | 2 (2.04%) | 2 (2.05%) |
The majority of appointments to these advisory committees require specialist scientific knowledge therefore they do not necessarily mirror the general population.
The FSA advertises its public appointment vacancies in a range of ways, including on the Cabinet Office Public Appointments vacancies website, in order to maximise opportunities to attract applicants from diverse backgrounds.
Targets for 2012 to 2014
| Future targets (as at 31 March) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
| Women | 35% | 36% | 36% |
| Ethnic minorities | 8% | 9% | 9% |
| Disabled people | 4% | 5% | 5% |
The FSA expects to make 15 new appointments and 17 re-appointments to its advisory committees in 2011/12.
The FSA aims to increase diversity among its committees' membership through mentoring and coaching, and reviewing how vacancies are advertised.
