Scottish Veterans Commissioner Reappointed

Veterans Minister Keith Brown, today announced the reappointment of Eric Fraser as Scottish Veterans Commissioner for a further year until August 2018.  Mr Fraser will also take on a new role setting up and chairing an independent panel to scrutinise bids to the Scottish Veterans Fund. 

Veterans Minister Keith Brown said:

 “Eric Fraser has done excellent work throughout his tenure to support and raise the profile of veterans.  His research, including the three reports he has published to date, have helped to inform our priorities and identified specific actions to support veterans in Scotland.

“I am pleased to extend Eric’s tenure for a further year and I am delighted that he has accepted my invitation to establish and chair an independent panel making recommendations to me on bids to the Scottish Veterans Fund.  The Fund now has a larger pot of money available, totalling £600,000 over three years including a contribution from Standard Life.  Extending Eric’s tenure will allow time for him to bed in these new structures effectively. 

“He has a wealth of knowledge and experience of veterans’ needs, and I look forward to seeing his work progressed further to the benefit of our veterans community.”

Background

COMMISSIONER BIOGRAPHY

A former Royal Navy Commodore with a 37-year military career, Mr Fraser was appointed as the inaugural Scottish Veterans Commissioner in August 2014 with a broad remit to improve outcomes for veterans.  This is the first role of its kind in the UK and since his appointment Mr Fraser has produced three reports making recommendations to improve service provision for veterans during transition, on housing and most recently on employability, skills and learning.   

Eric Fraser will continue to work with Service charities, Scottish Government, local authorities and other public bodies to identify how public services could provide greater support to veterans and help to shape on-going policy development.  He will also take on a new role establishing and chairing an independent panel to scrutinise bids to the Scottish Veterans Fund and make recommendations to the Veterans Minister. Further biographical information available via http://www.gov.scot/About/public-bodies/veterans-commissioner

APPOINTMENT

This appointment will see the Commissioner’s existing three year tenure (which had a termination date of 25 August 2017) extended for a further 12 months to a new end date of 31 August 2018.

REMUNERATION

The Commissioner’s remuneration takes the form of a daily fee, set at £281 per day, and is kept under review in accordance with the Public Sector Pay Policy for Senior Appointments.  The Commissioner works approximately 110 days per year which roughly equates to 0.5 FTE.

POLITICAL ACTIVITY

All appointments are made on merit and 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 within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.  Mr Fraser has held no political activity in the last five years.