Press release

Chair of the Prisoner Escort and Custody Services Lay Observers' National Council

Anthony Fitzsimons appointed as the Chair of the Prisoner Escort and Custody Services Lay Observers' National Council.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The Secretary of State for Justice has appointed Anthony Fitzsimons as the Chair of the Prisoner Escort and Custody Services Lay Observers’ National Council.

Lay Observers’ are volunteers appointed by the Secretary of State under the 1991 Criminal Justice Act. They form the membership of an independent national council and sit alongside a number of other criminal justice scrutiny bodies. Lay Observers’ focus on the escorting of prisoners who are being moved between courts, prisons and police stations.

The Chair convenes and oversees the work of the National Council, leading its development and ensuring that monitoring is appropriately performed by the Lay Observers’ and that their work dovetails with that of other bodies.

The appointment is subject to the completion of appropriate security checks.

Biography

Anthony Fitzsimons was Chair of the Gloucester Probation Trust until it came to an end in June 2014, and continued as Chair of the Community Rehabilitation Trust until February 2015.

He is a former Chair of Great Western Ambulance NHS Trust (2006-2012). In addition to these public sector leadership positions Anthony is Chair of Runton Management Limited, a large property company. Previously he has been Chief Executive of the Bristol and West Building Society (1989-2003), Managing Director of Citibank (1985-88) and Managing Director of Chef and Brewer (1981-85).

Updates to this page

Published 27 March 2015