Secretary of State appoints new member to the parades commission for Northern Ireland

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Brandon Lewis CBE MP, has announced the appointment of William Gamble to the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland.

Mr Gamble will take up the appointment with effect from 1 February 2021.

Mr Gamble now works as a Strategy Consultant following his retirement as a senior civil servant in the Northern Ireland Civil Service. During his civil service career, he held roles including Head of Good Relations & Reconciliation Division in the Office of the First and deputy First Minister, and Director of Regional Planning and Transportation in the Department for Regional Development.

Mr Gamble has previously held a number of board and trustee appointments, including membership of the board of the International Fund for Ireland, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, and the Community Relations Council.

Background

The Parades Commission for Northern Ireland was established in 1997 and took on its full powers in 1998 through the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998. The Commission operates as a Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Northern Ireland Office.

Under the terms of the Act, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is responsible for making appointments to the Parades Commission. The appointments are made in accordance with paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 of the Act.

Further information on the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland can be found at: https://www.paradescommission.org/

Terms of Appointment

• This position is part-time for a period ending on 31 December 2023.
• The position of member receives a fixed annual remuneration of £22,000.
• The position of member receives a fixed annual remuneration of £22,000.

Political Activity

All appointments are made on merit and with regards to the statutory requirements. Political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories to be made public.

Mr Gamble has declared that he has not been politically active in the last five years.

Regulation

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointment (OCPA) regulates appointments to the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland.

Statutory Requirements

The Secretary of State makes appointments to the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland in accordance with the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998.