News story

Appointment of non-executive member to the Independent Monitoring Authority

The Lord Chancellor has appointed Ronnie Alexander to the board of the Independent Monitoring Authority as member with knowledge of the relevant matters in Wales.

The Lord Chancellor, the Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC, has appointed Ronnie Alexander as a non-executive member of the Independent Monitoring Authority (IMA) with knowledge about conditions in Wales relating to the matters in relation to which provision is made in the citizens’ rights parts of the Withdrawal and Separation Agreements (“the relevant matters”) for a tenure of three years. Mr Alexander’s appointment commenced on 17 March 2021 and will run until 16 March 2024.

Ronnie Alexander biography

Ronnie Alexander has spent 20 years within the Welsh Government creating health protection policy and leading on climate change and health issues. Between 1994 – 2013, he was Chief Environmental Health Officer, Welsh Government. Mr Alexander is currently a Non-Executive Director for HM Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales (Estyn) where he chairs the Remuneration Committee (part-time) and sits as an Audit Committee Member.

Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens’ Rights Agreements

The IMA is a brand-new public body, which has been established under the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 (EUWAA). The IMA became operational at the end of 2020. The chair and members of the IMA are playing a crucial role in establishing the IMA’s early direction and effectiveness, and in winning the confidence of its stakeholders.

Under the provisions set out in EUWAA, the IMA has the power to receive complaints, launch inquiries and initiate legal proceedings. The IMA will also have a role in reviewing the effectiveness of the citizens’ rights legislative framework, for instance by reviewing draft legislation. The legislation also provides that it is important for the IMA to focus on general or systemic failures in the implementation of the citizens’ rights agreements, as well as receiving and investigating individual complaints. The IMA will publish guidance on how it will exercise its functions.

In terms of non-executives, Mr Alexander joins the Chair and four other non-executive members on the IMA Board (including those with knowledge of conditions relating to “the relevant matters’ in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar).

Non-executive appointments to the IMA are not currently regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. However, the Chair and Members have been appointed following fair and open competitions run in line with the process set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Published 18 March 2021