Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland

Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Stewart Stevenson today announced the appointment of a new member to the Public Transport Users' Committee for Scotland.

Hugh Flinn was brought up in Edinburgh where he was educated at Daniel Stewart's College. After obtaining a first-class degree in philosophy at Bristol University he worked in local government in London. He worked as a housing officer in Camden and then in various strategic policy posts in Hackney, where he was responsible for drawing up the Council's first Performance Plan. In 1999 he returned to Scotland when he was appointed Clerk Team Leader in the Scottish Parliament, where he led the Chamber Desk, which dealt with all parliamentary questions and motions, until his retirement in March 2008. Not being a car owner, Hugh has been a dedicated public transport user all his life, travelling the length and breadth of Scotland on buses, trains and ferries. He lives in Leith.

Mr Flinn does not hold any other Ministerial Appointments.

This appointment will be for 3 years and will run from 01 August 2008 to 31 July 2011. This post is part-time and attracts a remuneration of £100 for a time commitment of 2 days per month.

The PTUC was established by the Public Transport Users' Committee for Scotland Order 2006. It is an advisory public body which came into being on 01 January 2007. The PTUC considers and make recommendations to Scottish Ministers relating to public transport services in, from and to Scotland and considers and makes recommendations about other matters when asked to do so. The PTUC will operate under the more user-friendly name Passengers' View Scotland.

This Ministerial public appointment was made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland's Code of Practice.

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 appointees' political activity (if there is any to be declared) to be made public. Mr Flinn undertook no political activity in the past five years.