Scottish Advisory Task Force on the New Deal

The Scottish Advisory Task Force on the New Deal was first appointed in July 1997. The appointmnets are made by ministeres in the Scottish Executive.

The Scottish New Deal Advisory Task Force advises Scottish Executive Ministers on policy and design issues in relation to the New Deal; promotes and markets the New Deal to employers and encourages employer commitment. They also monitor the progress of implementation; and look at the coherence of the framework of New Deal and welfare to work initiatives in Scotland.

Although The Scottish New Deal Advisory Task Force is not an NDPB, Ministers have followed the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments Guidance for the appointment of the Chairman, as if it was for a Tier 1 unpaid Advisory NDPB post.

The first chair was Sir Ian Robinson ex chief executive of Scottish Power and current board member of S&N, Robinson also sits on the presidents committee of the CBI. Robinson left the post in 2001 and was replaced by John Milligan founder and former chairman of Atlantic Power and Gas; he is currently a non-executive member of the board of Petroleum Geo-Services, which merged with Atlantic Power in 1998. He is also a non-executive Director of Aberdeen Development Capital. Former roles also include Chairman of Aberdeen Enterprise Trust, and Chairman of Head Start Aberdeen. Currently Chairman of the Board of Governors at Robert Gordon University, and a sponsor of an Industry /Education Partnership with Kincorth Academy.