Appendix 1
Letter from the Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, Secretary
of State for Health, to the Chairman of the Committee, 30 April
2008
Chair of the Care Quality Commission
As you will be aware, subject to legislation currently
going through parliament, the Government intends to create a new
independent health and adult social care regulator, the Care Quality
Commission, in October 2008 to take over from the Healthcare Commission,
the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health
Act Commission at the end of March 2009.
To ensure the Care Quality Commission has its leadership
in place as soon as possible, we started a recruitment exercise
for the shadow Chair of the new Commission in February. The recruitment
process was carried out by the Appointments Commission independently
of Ministers. The Government has a clear commitment to increase
Parliamentary scrutiny of key public appointments. Given the degree
of Parliamentary and public interest in this particular position,
I had therefore previously decided that the Chair appointment
should be made by the Secretary of State to enable the post to
be one of those suitable for scrutiny by Parliamentary Select
Committee under the new arrangements first announced by the Prime
Minister last year. The Government has since formally consulted
the Liaison Committee on this (and other posts) and I understand
that the Committee has agreed that the Chair of the Care Quality
Commission is a post suitable for pre-appointment scrutiny by
Select Committee.
Following the Appointment Commission's report to
me after the conclusion of the recruitment exercise, I am pleased
to inform you that Baroness Young of Old Scone is the Government's
candidate for the Chair of the new Commission. In keeping with
the Government's commitment to increased scrutiny, I would now
like to invite your committee to hold a pre-appointment hearing
to take evidence from Baroness Young. Should you decide to hold
a hearing, my officials will provide the Committee with background
information about Baroness Young and our proposals for the new
Commission.
I would be grateful if, in the event of a hearing,
the Committee could publish its report as soon as possible after
the evidence session. I will then consider its conclusions carefully
before deciding whether or not to proceed with the appointment.
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