FORMER Scottish Borders Council chief executive David Hume, who walked away with more than £300,000 in pay, severance and pension entitlements after he controversially quit his job in August last year, has been revealed as once of the first members of the new unitary Scottish Police Authority (SPA), writes Mark Entwistle.
Mr Hume’s name was among the 12 announced yesterday by Scottish Government Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.
The SPA, which will go live on April 1, 2013, will support the solitary chief constable and the new Police Service of Scotland, as well as holding them to account.
All members have been appointed for four years and take up their new posts this month. There is an expected time commitment of 10-15 days per month up to April 1, 2013, after which it will be no more than 10 days per month for the first full year and Mr Hume and his SPA colleagues will take home £300 each for every day worked.
The appointments are regulated by the Public Appointments Commissioner for Scotland.
Mr Hume’s pay-off deal was shrouded in secrecy, with full details of the amounts involved not made public until July this year with the publication of council accounts.
SBC officials said Mr Hume had retired from his £123,000-a-year job after nine years because of what the local authority termed “a change in his personal circumstances”.
With more than 30 years’ experience in local government, Mr Hume also has a long-standing interest and commitment in the fields of child and adult protection, as well as community safety.