Chair Appointment to SNH Extended

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change today announced an extension to the appointment of Andrew Thin as Chair to the Board of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

Stewart Stevenson said:

“I am very pleased that Andrew Thin has agreed to accept an extension to his term of appointment. Andrew has been a very effective chair of the SNH Board. His leadership, strong principles of sound governance and excellent skills in advocacy have proved invaluable over the past six years.

“Andrew will provide the SNH Board with continuity of leadership as the organisation adjusts to the changes in how it carries out its work over the next three years, following the outcome of the Spending Review in 2011.”

SNH is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) which is funded by the Government and Board Members are appointed by Scottish Ministers. SNH is the Government’s advisor on all aspects of nature and landscape across Scotland. SNH’s role is to help everyone understand, value and enjoy Scotland’s nature now and in the future.

Andrew Thin – Chairman of SNH, having formerly been Convener of the Cairngorms National Park. Andrew has a strong track record in the public and voluntary sectors as Chairman of the John Muir Trust, Member of SNH’s North Areas Board and Member of the Crofters Commission Board. He is also a Member of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and Director of JNCC Ltd the subsidiary trading company. Andrew has an Honours degree in Agricultural Science and Masters Degree in Business Administration. Mr Thin is also a non-executive director within the core Scottish Government, and is a member of the Scottish Government Audit and Risk Committee.

This extension will be for 19 months and will run from 1 August 2012 to 28 February 2014. This extension to the appointment is part-time and attracts a remuneration of £325.22 per day for a time commitment of 12 days per month (144 days per annum).

This extension to appointment was made in partial accordance with the Public Appointments Commissioner for Scotland's Revised Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland. This extension to appointment met the Code requirements with the exception of paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Code relating to succession planning.

All extensions to appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the extension 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. No political activity has been declared by Mr Thin.

Mr Thin has a second Ministerial Public Appointment as a member of Children’s Hearings Scotland, for which his remuneration is £3,864 per annum.

The Scottish Government expects to invite applications later this year for appointment to the SNH Board to fill Board member vacancies arising on 31 July 2012 and 31 March 2013. The appointments will run from 1 April 2013.