Personal background
1. Do you have any business or financial connections or other commitments which might either give rise to a conflict of interest in carrying out your duties, or impact on the time you are able to commit to the role?
I have no business or financial connections that might give rise to a conflict of interest. I am at present a Trustee of the Campaign for National Parks and President of the Snowdonia Society. In gathering evidence for the Review of Designated Landscapes in Wales we found scant evidence of National Parks being a barrier to appropriate development. However there is a public perception, stronger in some areas than on others, that this is not true. NICfW will be a new body and it is important that it starts with a clean sheet. Therefore if my appointment is confirmed, I intend to resign from both positions. This position requires a commitment of five days a month, I have no difficulty with that and from previous experience in both the private and public sectors what you sign up to and what you actually do in terms of time commitment can be considerably different; I accept that situation, what is important is to set up a functioning and useful body
During the past few years I have accepted contracts from the Planning Inspectorate to examine Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. I will not be seeking nor accepting any further contracts.
2. Have you ever held any post or undertaken any activity which might cast doubt on your political impartiality?
Apart from voting, I have not been involved with or been a member of any political party. My wife has been both a District Council member and a County Council member; she has always stood as an Independent.
3. How has your experience to date equipped you to fulfil your responsibilities as chair of the Commission?
As can be seen from my CV, I have had two significant chairing roles. One as Chairman of NFU Wales which included steering the organisation through the BSE Crisis in the mid 90s and secondly as Chairman of CCW for ten years between 2000 and 2010. I have also had numerous other Chairman roles of other organisations with different degrees of complexity.
Performance of the role
4. As the Commission will be a new body, how will you build its reputation as an independent body that is able to influence the Welsh Government’s approach to the strategic delivery of infrastructure in Wales?
With others, I will seek to build NICfW's reputation as an independent body based on relevance, competence and strategic thinking including a combination of evidence gathering and analysis and imagination.
5. How do you intend to build relationships with local and regional bodies across Wales, and also organisations beyond Wales such as the UK National Infrastructure Commission, to ensure that the Commission is able to work across areas where responsibilities of a number of organisations meet?
Both the Welsh Government's Consultation and the Economy Infrastructure and Skills Committee's response agree that close working between NICfW and the UK National Infrastructure Commission will be essential. I agree and it will be a priority to explore how best this can be achieved. As for building relationships with other bodies, then a combination of informing them of our existence and purpose and a willingness to spend as much time as possible listening would be a good starting point. A review of bodies that should be consulted in one of the Annexes should also be undertaken, there may be some omissions.
6. What will be your key priorities in this new role?
Putting together a functioning team as quickly as possible which includes Commissioners with complementary skills that also reflects Wales's diversity, geographic spread, age and gender balance. Settled staff working to a defined budget and operating from an agreed base is equally important. An agreed base for setting up an organisation may not be the same base when the organisation is settled and up and running.
7. What risks have you identified to the Commission in carrying out its duties?
The remit of NICfW is to provide advice on economic and environmental infrastructure yet the appointment is made by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport and I am appearing in front of the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee. Where are the mechanisms for engaging the environmental side of the remit. There is also a need for a clear remit; I confess that I am struggling with the concept of a body which is both "Independent" and "Accountable". The time scales of the three year reports need to be agreed to lessen the temptation of them being used as "political footballs " during elections. I have no problem with annual reports that monitor progress and work undertaken.
8. The Committee was keen that the Commission demonstrates an understanding of all parts of the nation. How will you ensure that it takes an approach that looks at the diverse needs of all parts of Wales?
The answers given to questions 5 and 6 broadly cover this question. A detailed answer can only be given when a fully functioning body is in place when the scale and nature of the challenge is better known. Like all these answers, I must stress that these are my initial thoughts. For a body like NICfW to deliver value then it must function as a team in which the main role of the Chairman is to listen to others.
Accountability
9. What criteria should we use to assess your performance at the end of your term?
Progress made at the end of 12 months.
10. The Cabinet Secretary has said that the Commission’s terms of reference will make clear that it will have to conduct itself in line with the principles and goals of the Future Generations act. How do you see the Commission operating within that framework?
The remit of NICfW fits very neatly with the aims of the Future Generations Act. The strategic infrastructure needs of Wales over a 5 to 30 year period will help Welsh Government and Welsh society to deliver a long term policy that protects the interest of future generations and is based on the need and opportunity to work together in a better and smarter way.