news
New appointments to the FSA Board
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has today announced two new appointments to the FSA Board. Lord Blencathra and Fiona Gately will serve as members for three-year terms ending in 2024.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has today announced two new appointments to the FSA Board. Lord Blencathra and Fiona Gately will serve as members for three-year terms ending in 2024.
Ruth Hussey, FSA Interim Chair, said: ‘I am delighted to welcome David and Fiona to the FSA Board. They bring a breadth of knowledge and experience and I look forward to working with them to continue to protect public health and consumers’ wider interests in relation to food.’
Lord Blencathra has been a Member of the House of Lords since 2011. He is the Chair of the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee and serves on the Council of Europe. He is also the Deputy Chair of Natural England.
Lord Blencathra was a Member of the House of Commons from 1983 to 2011 during which time he served as a Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, the Department of the Environment and the Home Office.
Fiona Gately has served as an expert adviser at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and served on its Advisory Committee on Organic Standards from 2003 to 2005. She was director of Jamie Oliver’s campaigns on school food, cooking skills and obesity in the UK and US. She set up and served on the Board of the School Food Trust for the Department for Education between 2009 and 2011.
Fiona has worked for The Prince of Wales to build his award-winning organic food brand Duchy Originals and as head of marketing at the UK’s organic dairy co-operative, Omsco. She is an adviser to the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and their Adopt A School Trust to promote food education and culinary skills through the hospitality industry.
Both appointees take up their positions on 1 June 2021.
Board members are paid an annual remuneration of £8,000 for approximately 20 days a year. All appointments are made on merit and these appointments have been made in accordance with the guidance issued by the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointments.