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Bill Matthews appointed ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Trust Member for Scotland

Date: 16.12.2010     Last updated: 23.09.2014 at 09.48
Category: Trustees
The Government today announced that Bill Matthews has been appointed as the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Trust Member for Scotland, with effect from 01 January 2011.

Bill Matthews is replacing Jeremy Peat, who will step down as Trust Member for Scotland on 31 December 2010.

ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Trust Member for Scotland appointed

Welcoming the appointment, Sir Michael Lyons said:

"Bill's appointment as the new Trust Member for Scotland will bring a new range of skills and expertise to the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Trust. His past experience with the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Audience Council in Scotland as well as his background in the public and private sector provides him with unique insight as well as the skills necessary to represent the interests of Scottish licence fee payers.

"Bill will be joining the Trust at a challenging time for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, as we seek to implement a new strategy and plan for the Corporation's future. His experience positions him well to ensure that the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ will improve the value for money it provides to licence fee payers at the same time as going further to represent all audiences."

Bill Matthews said:

"It is a great pleasure to be joining the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Trust as the Trust Member for Scotland. Scottish licence fee payers have high expectations of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ and I look forward to ensuring that the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ continues to meet these.

"It is vital that public organisations are properly accountable to those that pay for them and one of my priorities will be to ensure that the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ meets the standards of openness and transparency demanded by licence fee payers."

Sir Michael Lyons added:

"I would like to thank Jeremy Peat for all he has done for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ and for Scottish licence fee payers during the past six years, both as a ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Governor and a member of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Trust. In addition to his role as chair of the Audience Council Scotland Jeremy was the chairman of the Audit Committee under the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Governors and the lead Trustee for value for money in the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Trust. He has also chaired the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Pension Trust throughout this period. In all of these positions Jeremy has brought wisdom, wit and unending enthusiasm. He is a valued colleague who has made a significant contribution to focussing the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ on the needs of licence fee payers across the UK."

Following the end of his term as a ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Trust Member, Jeremy will continue as chairman of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Pension Trust Ltd until 31 October 2011.

Ends.

Notes to editors

  1. Bill Matthews is an established chair and non-exec director with a variety of public and private sector experience. He is currently chairman of NHS National Services Scotland, a public member of Network Rail, non-executive director at the Security Industry Authority and non-executive director of the Scottish Police Services Authority. He has an earlier senior executive career in the electronics and electrical engineering industry, and is a former member of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Audience Council for Scotland and its predecessor body the Broadcasting Council for Scotland.
  2. The appointment of the Trust Member for Scotland is made for four years from 01 January 2011 to 31 December 2014. The post is currently remunerated at a level of 37,660 per annum, for a time commitment of approximately two days per week.
  3. The Trust is led by the Chairman, and has 11 other members. All members are responsible for representing the public interest as a whole. The Trust includes four members formally designated as members for each of the constituent nations of the United Kingdom. Full details of the other Trust members and biographies can be found here: The Trustees
  4. Details of how Trust Members are appointed are available.