First Minister Alex Salmond and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth John Swinney today announced the appointment of a new Chair and two new members to the Accounts Commission for Scotland, which audits local authorities in Scotland and helps them  achieve Best Value in their activities.

The new Chair is Professor John Baillie, who has been a member of the Accounts Commission since September 2003. He is the current chair of the Commission's Financial Audit and Assurance Committee, as well as a former partner of a Big Four auditing firm and a visiting Professor of Accountancy at Glasgow University.

He is a member of the Reporting Panel of the Competition Commission and was a member of the Local Government Finance Review Committee for which he received a remuneration of approximately £25,000 and £4,000 per annum respectively. He is also a member of the Audit Scotland Board for which he receives no remuneration.

One of the new members of the Commission is Adrienne Kelbie, a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel and Development, who is currently the Director of Operations for the Big Lottery Fund, and was previously the Scotland Director for Community Fund.

She has also held the position of member of the Scottish Consumer Council for which she received no remuneration.

The second new member is James King, a Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy qualified accountant who is currently a member of the Management Board of Glasgow's Metropolitan College, for which he receives no remuneration. He was previously the Financial Director for the Royal Mail in Scotland and Northern Ireland. He has considerable financial experience in a local government context, having worked for 13 years firstly with Glasgow Council and later with Falkirk Council where he held the posts of Chief Internal Auditor then Assistant Finance Director.

Salmond said:  “Effective government is crucial if Scotland is to prosper. That is why we set it out as one of the five strategic priorities in our Economic Strategy, published last week. The work of the Accounts Commission has an important part to play. By helping councils and joint boards to manage their resources efficiently the Commission can enhance performance across local government and help ensure best value for the people of Scotland.

“With this in mind I am delighted to announce the appointment of three new recruits - John Baillie, Adrienne Kelbie and James King. I know that they are well qualified to give local authorities any assistance they need and to help them achieve the highest standards.

“As chair of the board I'm confident that John Baillie's extensive experience will allow him to deliver the financial stewardship necessary to make sure our services achieve excellence. I welcome all three to work in the pursuit of financial success.”

All the posts are part-time. The Chair position attracts a remuneration of £27,460 per annum for a time commitment of 91 days per year, and the member posts attract a remuneration of £4,500 for a time commitment of 1 to 1.5 days a month.

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