CHANGE TO HOUSING CORPORATION BOARD ANNOUNCED

2 Dec 2002 12:31 PM

The Government has announced five new appointments to the Board of the Housing Corporation.

From 1 December new members will be Sheila Drew Smith, Julie Fawcett, Shaukat Moledina, Sandi O'Neill and John Walker. They succeed Sylvia Denman CBE, John Foster OBE and Peter Williams, all of whom who retired on 30 September.

The appointments, together with the reappointment of Ivan Monckton, bring the Board up to its maximum capacity of 15, position the Corporation well to drive forward the Government's challenging housing agenda.

Housing Minister, Jeff Rooker, said:

'I am very pleased to announce these new appointments. Each member will bring to the table a particular focus or area of expertise which will widen the Board's overall perspective and lend strength and experience to its decision making.

'I am also pleased that Ivan Monckton has agreed to serve a second term. His insight and expertise on rural housing issues is highly valued.

'English Partnerships' presence on the Corporation's Board, in the person of John Walker, Acting Chief Executive, sends a clear signal about our commitment to promote closer working relationships between the two organisations. And I am pleased to announce that Norman Perry, Chief Executive of the Corporation, has similarly been appointed to English Partnerships Board.'

The Minister added that the Corporation now has all the skills and resources needed to continue to play a positive role in responding to the new demanding agenda for social and affordable housing.

Notes for Editors

1. The Housing Corporation is the Non-Departmental Public Body responsible for registering, regulating, funding and promoting the proper performance of non- profit making Registered Social Landlords (RSLs). There are over 2000 RSLs, providing about 1.6 million homes for over 3 million people.

2. The Corporation will provide funding of £1.3 billion for RSLs in 2003/04 through its Approved Development Programme (ADP). This covers new-build and renovation schemes providing homes for sub-market rent and for sale under low cost home ownership initiatives. The Challenge Fund initiative, announced in September, topsliced £200m from the ADP to provide 4,400 new affordable homes in London and South East England. Some 2,500 of these will be for key workers and at least 1,800 will be built using modern methods of construction.

3. The DPM announced at the Urban Summit in October his intention to appoint English Partnerships' and the Corporation's Chief Executives to their respective Boards. The two NDPBs will in future work closely together to deliver Government policy on affordable housing in South East England. These ex-officio appointments are intended to facilitate greater organisational understanding and co-operation between the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships.

- Sheila Drew Smith is an independent management consultant specialising in business and organisational appraisal. She also serves occasionally as an independent assessor for the Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments.

She currently chairs the Tower Hamlets Housing Action Trust, contributing to the physical and social regeneration of Bow in the East End of London. This appointment was made by the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions, and attracts remuneration of £33,497 per year.

Her previous career as an economist included working for HM Treasury, and as a Partner in Deloitte Haskins and Sells (later Coopers and Lybrand). She has been Chair of Broadmoor Hospital Authority, Vice Chair of Circle 33 Housing Association and Board member of Ordnance Survey. In addition, she has been a Trustee of the Centre for Economic Policy and Research and a Governor of the University of East London,.

Sheila is a member of the Labour Party.

- Julie Fawcett has been a local authority tenant for 22 years. She chairs the Stockwell Park Community Trust, a Tenant Management Organisation and charity running a youth project for local young people.

She has been a lay visitor to Lambeth police stations and a Board member of Brixton Challenge. She was co-opted to the Board of the Waltham Forest Housing Action Trust until 2002.

She has strong tenant links in south London and the North of England.

- Shaukat Moledina is the non-executive Chairman of Amocura (Holdings) Ltd, which provides healthcare consultancy and care services through a network of care homes. Prior to this, he was chairman of a management consultancy specialising in working at Board level to advise and implement major change strategies.

Shaukat was appointed in 2001 by the Secretary of State for Health to the Board of the National Care Standards Commission, which attracts remuneration of £5,294 per year. He was also appointed by the Health Secretary to the unpaid position of Special Trustee for St Mary's Hospital, Paddington.

He is currently a Trustee of Save the Children, and has held previous Board positions with English Churches Housing Association and. Ealing NHS Trust. He also chaired Barnsley Council's Inspection Advisory Committee and was a member the North Yorkshire College of Health Studies.

- Sandi O'Neill has been a consultant in the non-profit sector, specialising in governance, strategy, operational and
organisational planning since 1995. She has an MBA from the London Business School and a background in private equity finance, latterly as a Director of Mercury Asset Management.

Sandi is a part-time member of the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal, appointed by the Lord Chancellor, for which she receives £212 per day, and an independent member of the Advisory Board of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, for which she receives £2,000 per year. In addition, she serves a lay member of the Law Society's Compliance Board and of the Adjudication Panel of the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors, having been appointed to both by the Master of the Rolls.

Sandi has been closely involved with Shelter, the National Campaign for Homeless People, since 1996. She resigned as a Trustee prior to taking up her appointment with the Corporation.

- Ivan Monckton has been reappointed for a second term until 30 September 2005, having served since April 1999. He is a
self-employed countryside conservation contractor and secondhand bookshop owner who lives in Wales. He represents the Rural, Agricultural and Allied Workers' National Committee on the TGWU General Executive and is a member of the Radnor Local Access Forum. He is a member of HSE's agricultural industry advisory committee, and a TGWU representative on the Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales. Both these appointments are unpaid. Ivan is a member of the Labour Party. 5. These appointments will expire on 30 September 2005. Each will receive remuneration of £11,530 per annum for a commitment of between 4 and 5 days per month.

- John Walker is the Acting Chief Executive of English Partnerships and Director for Finance and Administration. He serves as the EP representative on the Boards of the English Cities Fund (General Partner) Ltd, Priority Sites Ltd and Priority Sites Investment Ltd – EP's joint venture with The Royal Bank of Scotland –, Network Space Ltd, and on the Sunderland and the Tees Valley Urban Regeneration Companies. These positions do not attract
remuneration.

His appointment to the Housing Corporation Board is for the duration of his tenure as Acting Chief Executive of English Partnerships.

In a corresponding move, Dr Norman Perry, Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation has been appointed to English Partnerships' Board, for as long as he is the Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation. As ex-officio members of each Board, neither Chief Executive will receive remuneration for these additional responsibilities.

6. Under the Housing Association Act 1985, the maximum membership of the Housing Corporation Board is 15. From 1 December 2002, its membership is:

The Rt Hon Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde - Chairman, Eric Armitage OBE - Deputy Chairman,
Richard Arthur,
Sheila Button,
Sheila Drew Smith,
Julie Fawcett,
Geraldine Huka,
Yvonne Hutchinson,
Sir Duncan Michael,
Shaukat Moledina,
Ivan Monckton,
Sandi O'Neill,
Dr Norman Perry - Chief Executive,
John Walker - Acting Chief Executive of
English Partnerships, ex-officio,
Andrew Winckler.

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