Barbara Young, Baroness Young of Old Scone

The Right Honourable
The Baroness Young of Old Scone
FRSGS, HonMLS
Official portrait, 2019
3rd Chancellor of Cranfield University
In office
2010–2020
Preceded byRichard Vincent, Baron Vincent of Coleshill
Succeeded byDeirdre Hutton
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 November 1997
Life Peerage
Chair, Royal Veterinary College
Incumbent
Assumed office
August 2019
Personal details
Born
Barbara Scott Young

(1948-04-08) 8 April 1948 (age 76)
Perth, Scotland
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabour (before 2000 and since 2015)
Other political
affiliations		Non-affiliated (2000–2015)

Barbara Scott Young, Baroness Young of Old Scone, FRSGS, HonMLS (born 8 April 1948)[1] is a Scottish Labour member of the House of Lords. She was created a life peer on 4 November 1997 as Baroness Young of Old Scone, of Old Scone in Perth and Kinross.[2]

Young was educated at Perth Academy, from where she went to the University of Edinburgh to read Classics and Business Studies.[3]

As Vice-chair of the Council for the Institute of Health Management, Young carried out much of the work on the development of a “Policy Plan for the Institute – Priorities and Objectives”. She was appointed president in 1987, the first woman to hold the position.[4]

In 1997 Young was appointed as Vice Chair of the BBC, standing down in November 2000 after two and a half years.[5]

Young is currently chair of the Woodland Trust. She joined the Trust's Board in January 2016 and became chair on 9 June 2016.

She was the Chief Executive of health charity Diabetes UK, a position she took up on 1 November 2010 until September 2015.[6] Her resignation was noted in an early day motion tabled 9 September 2015: "under Baroness Young's leadership, Diabetes UK has succeeded in putting diabetes treatment and care high on the healthcare agenda of the UK, including a key role in the National Diabetes Prevention Programme".[7]

Before joining Diabetes UK, Young was involved in the establishment of the Care Quality Commission (CQC)s . Then Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced the appointment of Baroness Young as chair of the organisation on 15 April 2008.[8] She stood down in 2010. The announcement followed an independent recruitment exercise conducted by the House of Lords Appointments Commission and a pre-appointment scrutiny hearing.[9] by the Health Select Committee, which subsequently endorsed Young for appointment as the CQC chair. She held this position until 1 February 2010.[10] On 21 October 2010, Young became the Chief Executive of the health charity, Diabetes UK.[11] Baroness Young resigned from Diabetes UK in 2015 and took up the Presidency of the Royal Veterinary College in 2019.[12]

Prior to taking up the post of chair of the CQC, Young was the chief executive of the Environment Agency (2000 – May 2008), an appointment which led to her becoming a non-affiliated member in the House of Lords; previously she had taken the Labour whip. Other posts she has held include chair of English Nature; vice chairman of the BBC; board member of AWG plc; Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and of a number of local health authorities, including from 1985 Parkside Health Authority (abolished in 1993).[11]

  1. ^ "Baroness Young of Old Scone". Anglia Ruskin University. 6 July 2011. Archived from the original on 17 December 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  2. ^ "No. 54942". The London Gazette. 10 November 1997. p. 12601.
  3. ^ "Citation for Baroness Young of Old Scone, on the Awarding of an Honorary Doctorate". Anglia Ruskin University. 2008.
  4. ^ Institute of Health and Social Care Management. "History of the IHSCM" (PDF). Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Baroness Young". The Guardian. 19 March 2004. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  6. ^ https://uk.linkedin.com/in/barbara-young-5377b020[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Departing Chief Executive of Diabetes UK EDM (Early Day Motion) 412". 9 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Care Quality Commission Chair announced" (Press release). Department of Health. 15 May 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2008.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ "Draft Guidance for Departments making appointments" (PDF). National Archives. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  10. ^ "News | Care Quality Commission". Cqc.org.uk. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  11. ^ a b "Barbara Young appointed new chief executive". Diabetes UK. 21 September 2010.
  12. ^ "Royal Veterinary College Council announces new Chairman". rvc.ac.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2023.