News - Reports

Government Affairs Group Annual General Meeting - with Sir Alistair Graham

Drinks from 6pm, meeting started at 6.30pm

We were delighted that Sir Alistair Graham, Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (see biography below), agreed to be the guest speaker at the AGM. Sir Alistair gave an interesting talk about the work of the Committee and the state of British politics today, and took questions from the audience.

The meeting was followed by the formal part of the GAG AGM where the accounts and the election of officers for the coming year were considered. There was then be a drinks and canapé reception.

AGENDA OF THE 20th CIPR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS GROUP
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

HELD AT:

THE CONFERENCE ROOM
THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB
25 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE
LONDON WC2N 5AP

TUESDAY 20 MARCH 2007

6.00pm - Doors opened

6.30pm - Guest Speaker, Sir Alistair Graham, Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life

7.15pm – Brief Formal Proceedings followed by

Drinks and Canapé Reception

FORMAL PROCEEDINGS

NB. This is a short note on the agenda for the AGM and does not constitute the official minutes. These will be posted here when available.

1. CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS

2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

3. MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING (21 MARCH 2006)
(Click here to see the minutes of last year's AGM)

4. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

5. OFFICERS’ REPORTS
The CIPR GAG accounts for 2006 were presented and there was an opportunity for members to raise questions on them.

6. ELECTION OF OFFICERS

7. ELECTION OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS

8. APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS

9. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Louisa Stevens
CIPR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS GROUP HON. SECRETARY

Sir Alistair Graham - short biography

Sir Alistair has had a long and varied career in public service. Between 1966 and 1986 he worked for the Civil and Public Services Association, as Assistant Secretary, Assistant General Secretary and General Secretary. His next post was as Chief Executive of the Industrial Society (now renamed 'The Work Foundation') between 1986 and 1991, after which he became Chief Executive of Calderdale and Kirklees Training and Enterprise Council (1991 - 1996) then of the Leeds Training and Enterprise Council (1996 - 2000). During this latter period he also served as Chairman of the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland (1997- 2000).

He was Chair of the Police Complaints Authority until 1 April 2004 and is now the Chair of the British Transport Police Authority. He is also a Regional Commissioner for the NHS Appointments Commission, Vice-President of Opera North, non-executive director of the Information Commission, a Member of the Employment Appeals Tribunal and a member of the Fitness to Practice Committee of the General Optical Council.

Sir Alistair has served as a member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life since 1 October 2003 and was appointed as its Chairman by the Prime Minister on 22 April 2004. The Committee was given wide terms of reference when it was established in October 1994. John Major said of the Committee: "It is to act as a running authority of reference - almost you might say, an ethical workshop called in to do running repairs."

This aspect of the Committee's work was reaffirmed in January 2000 as part of the Cabinet Office's Quinquennial Review of the Committee, which concluded that there was a: "...continuing need to monitor the ethical environment and to respond to issues of concern, which may arise."

To fulfil this role and in addition to its formal inquiries, reports and research into public attitudes, the Committee devotes time throughout the year to discussing current issues and concerns relating to standards in public life.