Decision

Summary of business appointments - Margaret Burgess

Published 19 September 2016

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Margaret Burgess left her role as Minister for Housing and Welfare in the Scottish Government, in May 2016.

1. Voluntary board member, Irvine Housing Association’s board of trustees.

Ms Burgess sought the Committee’s advice about taking up a part-time, unpaid, appointment as a voluntary board member of Irvine Housing Association’s board of trustees.

The Committee noted that the appointment is unlikely to include any contact or dealings with the Scottish Government and that the level of contact Ms Burgess had with IHA while in office was the same as with any social landlord in Scotland. The Committee further noted that the Scottish Government’s housing policy, for which Ms Burgess was responsible, affected every social landlord in Scotland equally and accrued no specific benefit to IHA.

The Committee advised Ms Burgess that it could see no reason why she should not take up this appointment, subject to the following conditions:

  • She should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of herself or the organisation to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to her from her time in ministerial office; and

  • For two years from her last day in ministerial office she should not become personally involved in lobbying the Scottish Government on behalf of IHA or its clients; or make use, directly or indirectly, of her contacts in the Scottish Government to influence policy or secure funding on behalf of IHA.

The Committee sent its advice letter to Ms Burgess in July 2016 and the appointment was taken up in August.

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