Independent members for Metropolitan Police Authority appointed

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6 June 2000

At a meeting of the Assembly and magistrate members of the Metropolitan Police Authority, held on 5 June 2000, the six remaining independent members of the new Authority were appointed.

They are:

• Cindy Butts
• Peter Herbert
• Nicholas Long
• David Muir
• Angela Slaven
• Abdal Ullah

With these new appointments, in addition to that of Sir John Quinton, who has been appointed as Home Secretary Jack Straw's representative on the Metropolitan Police Authority, the membership of the new Authority is now complete.

The appointments of the independent members will run for four years, disregarding the period up to 3 July 2000.

The Metropolitan Police Authority will take over from the Home Secretary as police authority for the Metropolitan Police Service on 3 July, marking the most radical change in the policing arrangements in London, in 170 years. The Chair and Deputy Chair of the Authority will be elected by its members at their first meeting, which will be held in the Library, Westminster, Central Hall, Storey's Gate, London at 10am Monday 26 June 2000.

The Metropolitan Police Authority's responsibilities will include:

• securing the maintenance of an efficient and effective police force for the Metropolitan Police District
• as Best Value authority, securing continuous improvement in the way policing is provided in the Metropolitan Police District
• publishing an annual policing plan after consulting the people who live and work in London about policing in their areas and taking account of their views
• setting policing targets and regularly monitoring performance against them
• co-operating with the partners in the Crime and Disorder Partnerships set up between each London borough and the Commissioner
• having a role in the appointment, discipline and removal of senior Metropolitan Police officers
• in everything it does, seeking to promote equality of opportunity in a diverse community
• being accountable for the management of its budget.

Note to editors

The Authority is made up of twenty-three members, twelve drawn from the new Greater London Assembly, four magistrates and seven independent members. The twelve Assembly members of the Authority are: Anthony Arbour, Richard Barnes, John Biggs, Roger Evans, Lynne Featherstone, Nicky Gavron, Toby Harris, Elizabeth Howlett, Darren Johnson, Jenny Jones, David Lammy and Graham Tope.

The four magistrate members are: Reshard Auludin, Cecile Lothian, Richard Sumray and Rachel Whittaker.

Miss Cindy Samantha BUTTS
Age 28 - Resident of London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. Researcher for Clive Soley MP. Chair of Hammersmith & Fulham Police Lay Advisory Group. Director of Urban Partnership Group (London-wide urban regeneration). Member of Somali Refugee Focus Group. School governor.

Mr Donald Peter HERBERT
Age 42 - Resident of Brent. Barrister (Tooks Court Chambers). Chair of Society of Black Lawyers. Numerous public appointments including non-executive Director of Ealing Health Authority and part-time Immigration Adjudicator (since 1996). Organised internal "Race for Justice" conference in London in 1995. Member of Independent Advisors Group to the MPS's Directorate of Racial and Violent Crime Taskforce.

Mr Nicholas John LONG
Age 50 - Resident of Lambeth. Surveyor (in sole practice). Voluntary work for NACRO: Trustee; Member of Race Issues Advisory Committee and Finance Committee. Member and former Chair of Lambeth PCCG. Former lay visitor. Trustee of Lambeth Crime Prevention Trust.

Mr Robert David MUIR
Age 41 - Resident of Greenwich. Lecturer/co-ordinator at University of North London since 1995. Also part-time independent consultant to London Borough of Greenwich (multi-agency co-ordination of Macpherson Report recommendations) and associate trainer for Metropolitan Police Service. Member of Independent Advisory Group to the MPS's Directorate of Racial and Violent Crime Taskforce. Former Senior Education Officer for Commonwealth Institute (1989-1992). Founder member of Black Christian Civic Forum.

Ms Angela SLAVEN
Age 46 - Resident of Lewisham. Chief Executive of DIVERT Trust (national youth crime prevention organisation). Former Director of Operations for Rainer Foundation (1997) and Senior Probation Officer for Inner London Probation Service (1978-1996): included acting as representative on PCCGs.

Mr Abdal ULLAH
Age 23 - Resident of Tower Hamlets. Education Officer at Tower Hamlets Parents Centre. Chair of Tower Hamlets Youth Parliament. Member of Black and Ethnic Minority Regeneration Group for Tower Hamlets.

Sir John QUINTON
Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Committee. A Cambridge graduate, Sir John has spent most of his career with Barclays Bank, where he rose to become Group Chairman in 1987. After retiring he was for three years Chairman of George Wimpey PLC. He has served with the then Ministry of Health on secondment, and with the North Thames Regional Health Authority for twelve years. Sir John is a Trustee of several charities and has served in a number of public offices.

The full agenda and arrangements for the meeting on 26 June, including a press conference and photographic facilities, will be published shortly.

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