The Scottish Office is close to appointing an academic to head
communications for the new Scottish Parliament.
Professor Lesley Beddie, currently head of the school of computing at
Napier University in Edinburgh, is tipped to take the role of
communications director. Like all senior civil servants, she is
undergoing a vetting procedure by the security services and is awaiting
clearance. If she gets the go-ahead she will be in place in time for the
May elections.
Her role will be to oversee media relations, the production of the
Parliament’s official records - known in Westminster as Hansard - the
new web-site which will allow the public greater access to the workings
of the chamber and the visitor centre.
The Scottish Office has already named Bethan Hubbard as information
systems head. She will report to Beddie and will be at the forefront of
the Scottish Office’s drive to create an ’on-line Parliament’. She
joined last month after a decade at publishing company FT Healthcare
Cartermill International where she was most latterly information
operations manager.
Beddie, who has been at Napier University since 1979, was unwilling to
comment. The Scottish Office would only confirm that she has been
offered the job but added that the post was ’unconfirmed.’
