ESRC: David Willetts appoints new council member
Monday, 25 June 2012 10:24 AM
ESRC Council appointments
David Willetts, the Minister for Universities and Science, has appointed Mr Martin Rosenbaum as a new council member to the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
Mr Martin Rosenbaum is an executive producer in the BBC Political Programmes department, overseeing a variety of radio programming including Radio 4's The Week in Westminster. Mr Rosenbaum has produced numerous radio documentaries on topics ranging from the inside story of Gordon Brown's premiership to the politics of The Simpsons. He trains and advises BBC journalists on using the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, writes for the BBC News website on FOI, and has addressed international conferences on journalism and FOI. He is also the author of a book on the history of party political campaigning.
Mr Martin Rosenbaum has been appointed to Council for three years from 1 August 2012 to 31 July 2015.
Four re-appointments have also been made to Council, Mr Paul Grice, Mr Dave Ramsden, Mr David Walker and Professor John Beath.
Mr Paul Grice is the clerk and Chief Executive of the Scottish Parliament, which is responsible for delivering all services to the parliament and its members. He has worked in the devolved parliament since its inception in 1999. Mr Grice has a wide range of interests in the area of social policy including local government finance, urban regeneration and constitutional policy. He is member of Court at the University of Stirling.
Mr Paul Grice has been reappointed to Council for three years from 1 August 2012 to 31 July 2015.
Mr Dave Ramsden CBE was appointed the Treasury's Chief Macroeconomist and Director of the Macroeconomics and Fiscal Policy Group in 2005. Mr Ramsden joined the Treasury in 1988 and has worked on a wide range of macroeconomic and microeconomic policy issues relating to the UK and European economies including fiscal and tax policy and public finances, the business sector and labour markets.
Mr Dave Ramsden has been reappointed to Council for one year from 1Feburary 2012 to 31 July 2013.
Mr David Walker is a writer and broadcaster specialising in public policy and management. Formerly Managing Director, Communications and Public Reporting at the Audit Commission and founding editor of Guardian Public, he was also a leader writer and specialist correspondent for The Times and the Independent, and began his career in journalism on The Times Higher Education Supplement. His books include The Verdict: Did Labour change Britain and Unjust Rewards, co-written with Polly Toynbee. He has been a trustee of the National Centre for Social Research and the Nuffield Trust and is a visiting professor at City University, London.
Mr David Walker has been reappointed to Council for one year from 1 August 2012 to 31 July 2013.
Professor John Beath is emeritus Professor of Economics at the School of Economics and Finance at the University of St. Andrews. In June 2008 Professor Beath was appointed Secretary-General of the Royal Economic Society, only the ninth post-holder in over 100 years. He has a wide range of research interests in economics most recently focused on industrial organisation, in particular knowledge transfer between firms and universities, and on taxation policy.
Professor John Beath has been reappointed to Council for two years from 31 August 2012 to 31 July 2014.
For further information contact:
ESRC Press Office:
Danielle Moore-Chick
Email: danielle.moore-chick@esrc.ac.uk
Telephone 01793 413122
Jeanine Woolley
Email: jeanine.woolley@esrc.ac.uk
Telephone 01793 413119
Notes for editors
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent, high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC’s total budget for 2012/13 is £205 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes. More at www.esrc.ac.uk
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is building a dynamic and competitive UK economy by: creating the conditions for business success; promoting innovation, enterprise and science; and giving everyone the skills and opportunities to succeed. To achieve this it will foster world-class universities and promote an open global economy. BIS - Investing in our future.
The Council appointments have been made in accordance with the requirements of the Code of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Martin Rosenbaum, Paul Grice, John Beath, Dave Ramsden have not been involved in any relevant political activities in the last five years. David Walker has given talks at Labour Party constituency meetings. 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 declared) to be made public. None of the appointees have declared any political activity.
The appointees hold no other ministerial appointments.
An honorarium of £6,850 per year is currently paid to members and a higher rate of £9,110 is paid to members who chair Policy Committees.
