Robert Black (auditor)

Robert William Black CBE FRSE FRSS FRSA (died 15 October 2021) was a public administrator who was the first Auditor General for Scotland, holding the post between 2000 and 2012. He had several Local Authority management roles before being appointed as Auditor General. As Auditor General he coordinated the scrutiny of public finances over several administrations. After retiring from the role of Auditor General he held multiple board positions and chaired several independent commissions that carried out independent reviews on issues such as housing policy and policing.

Robert William Black
CBE FRSE FRSS FRSA
Auditor General for Scotland
In office
February 2000 – June 2012
MonarchQueen Elizabeth II
First MinisterDonald Dewar MSP (2000)
Henry McLeish MSP (2000 to 2001)
Jack McConnell MSP (2001 to 2007)
Alex Salmond MSP (2007 to 2014)
Preceded byInaugural holder
Succeeded byCaroline Gardner
Personal details
Born1946[1]
Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Died15 October 2021
Dunblane, Scotland
Alma materUniversity of Aberdeen

Early life and education

Black was born in Banff, Aberdeenshire.[2] He was educated at Robert Gordon's College.[3] He studied at the University of Aberdeen, graduating with an honours MA degree in economics, then gained a MSc degree in town planning from Heriot-Watt University, and a master's degree in public policy from University of Strathclyde.

Career

Local Authority management

Black was a local authority chief executive for 10 years, first with Stirling District Council 1985−90, then with Tayside Regional Council 1990−95.[4]

Auditor General

He became Controller of Audit with the Accounts Commission in 1995, and was the first person to hold the position who was not an accountant.[5] In May 1999, the Scottish Parliament voted to nominate a person to become the first Auditor General for Scotland.[6] Parliament's choice was approved by the Queen, and Black was appointed to the post in February 2000.[7] He was also the chief executive of Audit Scotland. In October 2011 he announced that he would retire from Audit Scotland.[8] In March 2012, the Scottish Parliament decided that Caroline Gardner should succeed him.[9]

Board and Commission appointments

Black began a three-year term on the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) in March 2012.[10]

In June 2012, Black was appointed to the board of the British Library for a four-year term.[11] He was re-appointed for a second term in 2016,[12][13] and chaired their public audit committee.[14]

In 2012 he gave a lecture at the David Hume Institute, where he questioned the sustainability of public services if provision continued free at the current level.[15][16] Black had proposed that a Scottish Commission for Resources and Performance be established, modelled on the Australian Government's Productivity Commission.[17] This was not progressed by the Government.[18]

In 2013, Black was announced as chair of the independent Commission on Housing and Wellbeing, bringing together eight members from a variety of organisations, with the aim of improving Scotland's wellbeing through better housing.[19][20] The Commission reported in 2015 making eighteen recommendations.[21][22]

He was a member of the University Court at the University of Edinburgh.[23] He was a lay member of the University Court at the University of Stirling from 2019.[24]

Black was asked by Scottish Government to respond to the Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) Thematic Inspection of the SPA's recommendation to review the roles of its chair and members in executive work. Black reported in August 2020 that the SPA's governance and accountability arrangements were neither flawed nor in need of reorganisation.[25][26] In March 2021, Black was appointed to the board of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA).[27][28]

He chaired the board of trustees at the economic think tank Fiscal Affairs Scotland.[29] Set up in 2014, it closed in 2017 after failing to attract financial support.[30][31]

In 2006 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.[32] He was a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society.[33]

Black died at his home in Dunblane on 15 October 2021. A memorial service is to be held at Dunblane Cathedral on 1 November 2021.[34][35]

Honours and awards

He received an Honorary Doctor of Law degree from the University of Aberdeen in 2004,[2] then an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration from Queen Margaret University in 2006.[5] He was an Honorary Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.[33]

He received a CBE in the 2012 New Year Honours.[36]

In 2017, Black became honorary vice-president of the housing and homelessness charity Shelter Scotland, only the second person in the charity's fifty-year history to be honoured in this way.[37]

References
  1. "Robert Black obituary". The Times. 30 October 2021. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021.
  2. "Honorary Graduands - Summer 2004" (Press release). University of Aberdeen. 5 July 2004. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  3. "Parliament appoints financial watchdog". The Herald. Glasgow. 11 September 1999. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  4. "Robert Black nominated for Auditor General for Scotland". Local Government Chronicle. 10 September 1999. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  5. "Scotland's Auditor General awarded honorary degree" (Press release). Queen Margaret University. 10 July 2006. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  6. Stokdyk, John (31 May 1999). "Scotland - Black set to be auditor general". Accountancy Age. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  7. Fraser, Douglas (22 March 2005). "Watchdog who's unafraid to bare his teeth He wants MSPs to take lessons to understand finance, and plans a joint report with his English counterpart on the NHS. Political editor Douglas Fraser puts our ambitious auditor general under scrutiny". The Herald. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  8. "Auditor General Robert Black announces his retirement". BBC News. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  9. Aitken, Keith (28 March 2012). "Gardner set to become auditor general for Scotland". Public Finance. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  10. McCulloch, Scott (20 March 2012). "ICAS appoints two new public interest members to its council". www.insider.co.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  11. "The British Library: appointment of a new Part-time Board Member" (PDF) (Press release). Department for Culture, Media and Sport. July 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  12. "Culture Secretary Reappoints Two British Library Board Members". gov.uk (Press release). 8 March 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  13. "2 Reappointments for British Library Board". diversityuk.org. 8 March 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  14. "About Us: Governance: British Library Board: Chairman and members of the Board: Dr Robert Black CBE". British Library. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017.
  15. "Robert Black: Free public services need 'revisiting'". BBC News. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  16. Fraser, Douglas (4 October 2012). "Bark and bite from the public's watchdog". BBC News. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  17. Barnes, Eddie (5 October 2012). "Scottish independence: Cash crisis 'can't wait till after referendum'". The Scotsman. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  18. Donald, Colin (3 February 2013). "Swinney: no to new finance watchdog More scrutiny needed, says ex-auditor". The Herald. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  19. "Scottish housing policy set for review". The Scotsman. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  20. Ross, Shân (11 March 2015). "Poor housing in Scotland a health 'time bomb'". The Scotsman. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  21. Naysmith, Stephen (10 June 2015). "Housing report warns of cost to future generations". The Herald. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  22. Shannon, Kate (8 October 2015). "Is Scotland facing a housing crisis?". Holyrood. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  23. "University Court: Membership :Information about Members of the University Court: 2015-2016: Dr Robert Black". University of Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  24. "Our People > University Court > Members > Dr Robert Black CBE". University of Stirling. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  25. Matchett, Conor (7 August 2020). "Scottish Police Authority changes would 'put at risk' chief constable's independence". The Scotsman. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  26. "Role of the Scottish Police Authority, the Chair and members: independent review". Scottish Government. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  27. "Six new members appointed to Scottish Police Authority". scottishlegal.com. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  28. "About us > The Board > Dr Robert Black CBE FRSE". Scottish Police Authority. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  29. "Think tank Fiscal Affairs Scotland suspends activities". BBC News. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  30. Carrell, Severin (8 October 2015). "Independent Scottish fiscal studies body faces closure as funds dry up". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  31. "Charity details > Fiscal Affairs Scotland SCIO, SC044827". www.oscr.org.uk. Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  32. "Fellows > Dr Robert W. Black CBE, FRSE". Royal Society of Edinburgh. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  33. "Robert Black biographical notes" (PDF). Audit Scotland. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  34. "Notices and Announcements > Death Notices & Obituaries > Robert Black". The Herald. 30 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  35. "Tribute to Robert Black CBE". audit-scotland.gov.uk. Audit Scotland. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  36. "Honours: Order of the British Empire, Civil - GBE, DBE, CBE". The Independent. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  37. Shannon, Kate (4 April 2017). "Former Auditor General Robert Black becomes honorary vice-president of Shelter Scotland". Holyrood. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
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