John Page is the new chair of the Home-Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA). He takes up the £25,203-a-year, one-and-a-half days per week post from 3 June for three years.

John Page is a former Director General of the British Agrochemicals Association (now the Crop Protection Association), and was agricultural director of Barclays Bank from 1994-2000. For three years until 2003 he was executive director of Ten Sixty Six Enterprise Ltd, a development partnership between local authorities and business, and since 2002 has chaired the finance committee of Farming and Wildlife Advisory Groups Ltd (of which he has been a Trustee since 1994) as well as being Treasurer of the Oxford Farming
Conference since 1999.

Food and Farming Minister Larry Whitty said:

"I am confident that, with his broad experience, John Page will build on the excellent work carried out over the last six years by Antony Pike. The HGCA plays an important role supporting our cereals and oilseeds industries and I wish John every success."

BACKGROUND

HGCA is an executive non-departmental public body set up under the Cereals Marketing Act 1965 and is funded almost entirely by statutory levies paid by cereals and oilseed growers and by cereals dealers and processors. Levy income in 2002/03 was around £10million.

HGCA's mission is to "improve the production and marketing of UK cereals and oilseeds so as to increase their competitiveness in UK and overseas markets". Its main activities include: developing and funding research and development programmes for cereals and oilseeds; operating a market information service in respect of cereals and oilseeds; and promoting the development of exports of home-grown cereals both as grain and in cereal related products.

The present chair, Antony Pike CBE, will leave on 2 June having served six years.

All appointments are made on merit and political balance plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity (if any declared ) to be made public.

John Page has undertaken no political activity in the last five years and holds no other Ministerial appointments, and his appointment has been made in accordance with the Code of Practice for appointments to public bodies.

The appointment of HGCA Chair is made by UK Agriculture Ministers acting jointly.