Three new appointments have been made to the joint management board of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland (OSSS) and the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland (OAG).

Ross Finnie, Martin Dorchester and Stuart Patrick will take up the posts with immediate effect, replacing existing vacancies on the board and concluding an open, fair and transparent recruitment process. The appointments will support the Offices’ work ensuring Scottish interests are fully represented at the heart of the UK Government.

The three new appointments to the OSSS and OAG joint board bring to the departments a breadth of experience from agriculture, food and drink, trade and charity sectors across Scotland:

Commenting on the appointments, Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said:

I am very pleased that Ross Finnie, Martin Dorchester and Stuart Patrick are to join the joint management board of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland.

Ross Finnie is an expert on agriculture, food and drink and fishing policy. Mr Dorchester brings valuable experience from one of Scotland’s most famous businesses. Mr Patrick is a champion for Scottish trade, not only here in Scotland but across the UK and internationally.

All three appointees will help strengthen the UK Government’s capability at this crucial time – as we ensure our economy can bounce back after the coronavirus pandemic, and we make the most of new global opportunities outside of the EU. We will continue to ensure a prosperous Scotland within a strong United Kingdom.

I am very glad to have them on board.

Non-executive board members are senior figures from outside government, appointed to provide expert external challenge and advice to UK Government departments.

UK Government non-executive board members are appointed by the Secretary of State and their role is to:

• Give advice to ministers and officials on the operational and delivery implications of policy proposals.

• Provide independent support, guidance and challenge on the progress and implementation of the department’s strategic direction.

• Advise on performance and monitor implementation of the department’s business plans.

Biographies

Ross Finnie

Mr Finnie is the current Chair of Food Standards Scotland. He served as Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment from 1999 to 2007, and has served as a Board Member for the Water Industry Commission of Scotland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Boards.

Martin Dorchester

Mr Dorchester has extensive experience on boards in the public, private and charity sectors in Scotland. He is the currently Chief Executive Officer for Includem, a specialist Scottish charity supporting young people and their families. Prior to this he was Group Chief Executive Officer for David MacBrayne as well as Managing Director of Calmac Ferries.

Stuart Patrick CBE

An expert on economic development, Mr Patrick is chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce supporting trade and a serving board member for the British Chamber of Commerce. A qualified accountant, he built a SME in the hospitality sector and in 2019 was awarded an CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to business and the economy in Glasgow.

Businesses will be protected from the threat of eviction until the end of year, providing commercial tenants with greater security and protecting vital jobs, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced today (16 September 2020).

Today’s measures are on top of the wider ranging financial package provided by the UK government, backed by £160 billion, to protect jobs, incomes and business throughout and beyond this pandemic.

The government is clear that where businesses can pay their rent, they should do so, as this support is aimed to those businesses struggling the most during the pandemic.

This move will help those businesses most in need of additional support to remain in their premises without the threat of eviction for the rest of this year, giving them the chance to focus on rebuilding their business over the autumn and Christmas period.

Secretary of State for Housing Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:

I am announcing today that we are extending support to protect those businesses that are unable to pay their rent from eviction to the end of the year. This will stop businesses going under and protect jobs over the coming months.

This government is committed to supporting businesses and our high streets at this difficult time, and this extension of support will help businesses recover from the impacts of the pandemic and plan for the future.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said:

During this particularly challenging time for businesses, it is crucial that both landlords and tenants have the clarity and reassurance they need to build back better from the pandemic.

Extending the temporary measures we put in place earlier this year to protect businesses from the threat of eviction will give them some much-needed breathing space at a critical moment in the UK’s economic recovery.

This extension will protect businesses that are struggling to pay their rent due to the impact of COVID-19 from being evicted and help the thousands of people working in these sectors feel more secure about their jobs.

The government will also extend the restriction on landlords using Commercial Rents Arrears Recovery to enforce unpaid rent on commercial leases, until the end of the year.

The guidance is clear both landlords and tenants should continue to work together to agree rent payment options if businesses are struggling. In June, the government published a Code of Practice to support these discussions.

The Code of Practice was produced alongside leading businesses and trade associations to help guide and encourage all parties to work together to protect viable businesses and ensure a swift recovery.

In addition to the measures extended today, the government has also committed:

• Over £35 billion on the furlough scheme, protecting over 9.6 million jobs.
• Around £8.5 billion for nearly 3 million self-employed people.
• Over £15 billion from SME and large business Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans.
• Over £35 billion via over 1 million Bounce Back Loans.
• Over £11 billion in business grants and £10 billion in business rates relief.
• Over £27 billion in VAT deferrals, supporting nearly 500,000 businesses.
• Nearly £33 billion at the Summer Economic Update – supporting the Jobs Retention Bonus and Eat Out to Help Out, which has seen over 84,000 premises claim £520 million.
• Billions of pounds of easements to help local authority cash flow, as well as over £300 million to support Test and Trace and other emergency funding.

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