The Baroness Young of Old Scone | |
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![]() Official portrait, 2019 | |
3rd Chancellor of Cranfield University | |
In office 2010–2020 | |
Preceded by | Richard Vincent, Baron Vincent of Coleshill |
Succeeded by | Deirdre Hutton |
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
Assumed office 4 November 1997 Life Peerage | |
Chair, Royal Veterinary College | |
Assumed office August 2019 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Barbara Scott Young 8 April 1948 Perth, Scotland |
Nationality | British |
Political party | Labour (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]