The Centre for Scottish Public Policy

According to its website The Centre for Scottish Public Policy 'is an independent think-tank formerly known as the John Wheatley Centre, established to provide a focus for imaginative and innovative policy debate on the key issues facing Scotland.'

According to Hartwig Pautz 'In summer 2004, Ross Martin, a former Labour Councillor and failed Labour-candidate for a seat in the Scottish Parliament in 1999... was appointed Executive Director. He followed Gerry Hassan, who was previously Head of Communications at the Scottish Council for Development and Industry lobby group (SCDI), and who is now working with think-tank Demos on the ‘scenario-building’ project Scotland 202038. Prior to his new position at the CenSPP, Martin was head of the Scottish Forum for Modern Government at Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University. This institute, set up in November 1999, has effectively ceased to exist. Martin wants the CenSPP ‘to act as a bridgehead between the government and the people they seek to govern by providing opportunities for engagement, by challenging vested interests’39. He wants the institute to be seen as ‘centre-left’40, although not aligned to a political party. The CenSPP’s aim is the ‘promotion of an imaginative public policy debate’ by ‘organising opportunities for politicians, policy thinkers and practitioners to meet and to learn from each other’41. In cooperation with the SCF, the CenSPP is pursuing research into ‘public sector reform in Scotland’42.'

Personnel

The Board

• Kenneth Munro (Chair) former Head of European Commission Representation in Scotland
• Mark Lazarowicz Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North & Leith, Advocate
• Gordon Dalyell Partner, Digby Brown & Co, Solicitors
• Richard Norris Director, Scottish Health Council
• Lesley Sutherland Women's Forum Scotland

Staff

• Ross Martin Chief Executive
• Pat Herd Conference Officer
• Gillian Jones Finance & Administration Assistant

Membership

Annual membership rates: Individuals: £30 + £5.25 VAT = £35.25 Unwaged: £15 + £2.63 VAT = £17.63

Corporate: Charities, voluntary organisations and local organisations: £50 + VAT = £58.75 Local authorities: £250 + £43.75 VAT = £293.75 Large national organisations: £500 + £87.50 VAT = £587.50 Others: £100 + £17.50 VAT = £117.5

Membership benefits:

1. Advance notice of events 2. Discounted delegate rates at conferences and seminars 3. Priority invitation to the new Annual Lecture 4. Copies of our publications 5. Exclusive member-only policy events

Funding

• BAA Scotland,
• European Parliament
• German Social Democratic Party’s Friedrich Ebert Foundation

Source: http://www.psa.ac.uk/2005/pps/Pautz.pdf

Activities

Achieving the Vision: The Edinburgh City Region Conference 2005 Edinburgh, Thursday 26 May

Keynote speaker: Tom McCabe MSP, Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform

in association with City of Edinburgh Council Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian Media sponsor: The Scotsman Conference sponsors: BT, First, Citigate Public Affairs

Reports

Reports available:

Delivering Transport Policy for Scotland Working Together for a Sustainable Scotland A Healthy Scotland Public Service Reform in Scotland Scotland's role in the Enlarged Europe The Implications and Consequences of Introducing STV for the Scottish Parliament Elections

Contact

Chisholm House 1 Surgeon Square High School Yards Edinburgh EH1 1LZ

Tel/Fax: 0131 558 8179 mail@cspp.demon.co.uk

External links

• CSPP website [1]
• Hartwig Pautz 'Think-Tanks in Scotland' Paper for the 55th Political Studies Association Annual conference, 4-7 April 2005, University of Leeds, www.psa.ac.uk/2005/pps/Pautz.pdf
• Spinprofiles Centre for Scottish Public Policy