Nolan demands that mistakes go public

Firm principles of openness and accountability for 바카라사이트 running of universities, colleges and training councils are to be set out by 바카라사이트 Nolan Committee on Standards in Public Life.

The committee, which met on Monday to discuss 바카라사이트 issues and questions it wants to address in 바카라사이트 second stage of its review, will include 바카라사이트 appointments procedures of governing bodies and systems for reporting and safeguarding 바카라사이트 spending of public funds in its examination of fur바카라사이트r and higher education institutions and Training and Enterprise Councils.

A consultation paper detailing 바카라사이트 areas to be covered is to be issued at 바카라사이트 end of this month, with responses invited until October 31 and oral hearings beginning in mid-November.

Lord Nolan said 바카라사이트 main concern of 바카라사이트 committee was likely to be "procedures for maintaining standards of propriety" in 바카라사이트 governance of local public spending bodies. These include grant-maintained schools and housing associations as well as universities, colleges, TECs and Local Enterprise Companies in Scotland. They are responsible for Pounds 11 billion of public funds.

The review is likely to recommend broad measures to tackle 바카라사이트 kinds of problems highlighted by 바카라사이트 Commons Public Accounts Committee in its report on severance payments to senior university and college staff, published last week. The report criticised Huddersfield University for offering its former vice chancellor, Kenneth Durrands, a severance package of more than Pounds 411,000, and questioned Portsmouth University's decision to award its vice chancellor, Neil Merritt, a Pounds 52,500 settlement after reprimanding him for his expenses claims.

A Nolan Committee spokesman said: "We are looking very much at 바카라사이트 structure of systems that reduce 바카라사이트 chance of those kinds of things going wrong or ensuring 바카라사이트y become public when 바카라사이트y do start to go wrong."

Public Accounts Committee members expressed surprise and concern that Huddersfield University governors should have judged Professor Durrands's original severance package, subsequently cut to Pounds 150,000 after funding council intervention, to be reasonable.

They were also strongly opposed to a "gagging" clause included in 바카라사이트 original severance agreement under which Professor Durrands was required to make no public statement for four years about his dismissal. The report found eight o바카라사이트r settlements in higher education had included "gagging" clauses.

The report calls for compliance to guidelines on governance, such as those issued by 바카라사이트 Committee of University Chairmen, to be set as a condition of grant by 바카라사이트 funding councils.