New Chair and Commissioners Appointed to Race Equality Body

Published	22 November 2006

Ruth Kelly, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, today announced the appointment of Kay Hampton as chair of the Commission for Racial Equality and the appointment of four new commissioners.

The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) is the statutory body working towards the elimination of racial discrimination and the promotion of race equality in Britain.

Dr Hampton and the new commissioners' - Reverend Aled Edwards, Yaseer Ahmed, Jane Codona and Uzoamaka Iwobi - appointments will run until 31 October 2007 , when the work of the CRE will be taken forward by the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR), the new commission bringing all equality issues together under one body.

Ruth Kelly said:

"The Government is committed to working closely with the Commission for Racial Equality in fostering good relations between people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. We are determined to continue our progress in building communities where people are able to fulfil their potential regardless of their race and where diversity is valued and celebrated.

"This is a particularly important time for the CRE as it works to ensure it leaves the strongest possible legacy and moves towards the launch of the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights - a body which will have enhanced powers to wield in the cause of race equality. Kay Hampton with the current group of commissioners will have a key role to play in the legacy and in the transition."

Kay Hampton said:

"I am delighted to be given the opportunity to take forward the outstanding achievements of my predecessors over the last 30 years. Together with my fellow commissioners, I intend to work closely with the CEHR to ensure a seamless transition of both the substantive work of the CRE as well as the vast knowledge and skills that we have accrued over the years. I feel confident that the CEHR will continue our tradition of working towards building a fair and just society where quality of life and success is not determined by one's skin colour, nationality or ethnic background."

Notes to editors

1. The CRE is a non-departmental public body set up under the Race Relations Act 1976. Its duties are to work towards the elimination of racial discrimination and promote equality of opportunity, to encourage good relations between people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds and to monitor the way the Race Relations Acts are working.

2. New chair: Dr Kay Hampton is currently the CRE's deputy chair and commissioner with special knowledge of Scotland. A lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University, she has researched and published widely on racism, ethnicity and discrimination. Since her arrival in Scotland in 1993, she has served on several management committees, trusts and boards that work in the field of inequality and disadvantage, including funding bodies. These include the Community Fund (board member and Scotland Chair 1998-2003); Welcome Trust Society Awards (2001-2003) and of the Scottish Refugee Council (Trustee 2005-2006).

3. Wales Representative: Reverend Aled Edwards is chief Executive Officer of CYTÛN (Churches together in Wales) and in 2005 was elected Chair of the Welsh Refugee Council's Board of Trustees. A Welsh speaker he was made an OBE in June 2006 for his services to charities in Wales.

4. Yaseer Ahmed is currently Managing Director of Pearl Commercial Investments Ltd and strategic independent advisor to the Greater Manchester Police. In 2005 he received the Bolton Black and Asian Achievement Award for community work and development in sport.

5. Jane Codona is a project leader for Ormiston Children Families Trust with responsibility for delivering advocacy to the Gypsy and Traveller community. She has in the past worked with the CRE steering group on the development of their Gypsy and Traveller strategy.

6. Uzoamaka Iwobi is currently a South Wales Police (SWP) Principal Equality and Diversity Officer with responsibility for writing policies on a variety of diversity issues. She is also involved in diversity training for many organisations within Wales. She is currently chair of the first African Community Centre (ACC) in Wales.

7. Kay Hampton takes over from Trevor Phillips as chair of the CRE. Mr Phillips has continued as chair since his appointment as chair of the CEHR on 11 September 2006, but will now step down on 30 November. She will take up her post on 1 December.

8. As the CRE is expected to continue to exist for another year and to allow Trevor Phillips to get on with work on the CEHR, the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) have agreed to an exemption to their code of practice, which would normally require an open competition to appoint a new chair to the CRE.

9. Kay Hampton's appointment has been approved by the Prime Minister in accordance with guidelines which require that the PM should be consulted about the appointment of chairs to non-departmental public bodies (both executive and advisory) and executive agencies.

10. Kay Hampton's salary is pro-rata to a full-time rate of £100,000 a year. She will initially work a four day week with a review after three months. The key responsibilities of the chair are: to give direction and clarity to the Commission's strategic and policy development, to be responsible for the Commission's leadership, and accountable to the Secretary of State for the work of the Commission, and to be responsible for co-ordinating the activities of Commissioners, and to represent the views of the Commission. She will work to ensure a smooth transition to the CEHR is October 2007 and oversee the preparation for the dissolution of the CRE.

11. The appointments of the four new commissioners have been made in accordance with the code of practice issued by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity (if any is declared) to be made public.

12. Dr Hampton and the four new commissioners have all confirmed that they are not politically active and do not hold any other Ministerial public appointments.

13. The remuneration for the Commissioner posts is £160 a day. The time commitment for these posts is currently a minimum of 20 days per annum, including regular attendance at CRE meetings. This will apply to Yasser Ahmed, Jane Codona and Uzoamaka Iwobi. The Race Relations Act 1976 also requires that there must be one Commissioner who has special knowledge of Wales, and one with special knowledge of Scotland. These posts carry a minimum time commitment of 30 days per annum. This will apply to the new Wales Commissioner Rev Aled Edwards. The post holders will also be entitled to claim expenses at rates set centrally, for travel and subsistence costs incurred necessarily on CRE business.

14. The Rev Aled Edwards is appointed, with the consent of the First Minister for Wales (Rhodri Morgan) to fill the statutory requirement for a commissioner with a special knowledge of Wales.

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