Mobility and Access Committee Scotland

The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Stewart Stevenson today announced the appointment of nine new Members to the Mobility and Access Committee Scotland (MACS).

The new Members are:

Bob Benson is currently a member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's, statutory Scotland Committee and as such also co-opted onto its statutory Disability Committee. He has considerable experience in the equality and human rights field and is a trustee of the Scottish Community Foundation and Chair of its Grants Committee. He was previously an Executive Director for Community Development with Scope, and Director Scotland, Disability Rights Commission.

Clare Byrne has been a director of Spinal Injuries Scotland since 2004, a position which does not attract remuneration. She has a background in retail management, specializing in training.

Heather Fisken currently works as Project Manager for the Independent Living in Scotland Project at the Equality Human Rights Commission. She was previously employed in a variety of roles in the Disability Rights Commission including in policy, practice development and introducing the Disability Equality Duty to Scotland. She was previously a Trustee of the RNID and has worked as an Inclusive Design Consultant. She is a graduate of the Inclusive Environmental Access and Design course at Herriot Watt University.

Jane Horsburgh is Public Policy Manager for Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. She was previously a board member of MACS from 2005 to 2008, and was involved on the Departments for Transport's Research on Designing for Disabled People in Home Zones. She is a member of the Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance, and a previous member of Angus Access Panel.

Grahame Lawson was Head of Planning, Roads and Building Control for North Lanarkshire Council until he retired in 2004. He was an adviser on disability matters to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and for many years he was a member of DPTAC where he chaired the Personal Mobility and Local Authority Working Group and led on Blue Badge issues. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Highways and Transportation.

Muriel Masson is a trustee of SKILL, member of SKILL Scotland branch committee and sits on SKILL Council. She has also been the convener of Edinburgh University Disabled Students Group for several years. These posts do not attract remuneration. She is currently finishing a PhD in Osteoarchaeology.

Annette Monaghan currently works in the Human Resources Directorate of NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde. Her background is Learning & Education and Organisation Development. She is on the Board of Impact Arts, an arts charity based in the east end of Glasgow but with projects throughout the central belt. This position does not attract any remuneration.

Jane Steven was a qualified nurse and social worker with a long history of working on both disabled issues and rural community and access issues and on Collaborative and Community Development Projects until her retiral. She has been an Individual Public Member of Network Rail for 3 years and is a member of Passengers Views Scotland and of the management committee of Carers of East Lothian.

Shonagh Terry works as an HR Consultant, latterly in interim or short-term HR Management roles, mainly in Strategy, Policy and Employee Relations. She has experience of working within Local Government, Non-Departmental Public Funded Bodies, Government Research Councils, Multi-Nationals and the Finance Sector. Her initial career was as a self employed Chiropodist.

These appointments will be for 3 years and will run from October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2012. The posts are part-time and attract remuneration of £100 per day for a time commitment of up to one day per month.

Jane Steven is currently a Member of Passengers' View Scotland and receives a daily attendance rate of £100 per day for a time commitment of up to one day per month. None of the other newly appointed members currently hold appointments with other Public Bodies.

MACS was established by Scottish Ministers under the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland Regulations Order 2002. It is responsible for advising Scottish Ministers on the transport needs of people with disabilities in Scotland. It shall consider and make recommendations about other matters if asked to do so. MACS will, for the main part, hold its meetings in Edinburgh.

These Ministerial public appointments were 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 within the last 5 years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.

Muriel Masson has stated she is a member of the Scottish Socialist Party and attends local branch meetings whenever possible but does not hold any office or paid position. She was president of Edinburgh University Scottish Socialist Party Society in 2004-2005.