BARONESS BUSCOMBE

Baroness Buscombe, Peta, has had a varied career both within the private sector and in politics, prior to taking up her position as Chairman of the Press Complaints Commission in April 2009.

Peta is a Barrister and has acted as legal adviser and counsel to various organisations including Barclays Bank International, New York and Barclays Bank Plc, London, the Dairy Trade Federation and The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising. Most recently she was the Chief Executive of The Advertising Association, Director of Asbof/Basbof and Director of CAP/BCAP. Peta is currently a Non Executive Director of Veolia Central Plc.

Peta has had a distinguished political career and was made a Life Peer as Baroness Buscombe of Goring in 1998. Between 1999 and 2007 she was a Shadow Minister in the House of Lords covering several Whitehall departments including, Education and Skills (DCSF), Home Office, Trade and Industry (DBERR), Work and Pensions, Cabinet Office and Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). She was also Deputy to the Shadow Lord Chancellor for the whole of that period.

Peta was educated at Hinchley Wood School and Rosebury Grammar School, Epsom. She then attended the Inns of Court School of Law and Columbia Law School in New York. In 1977 she was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple.

She is married with one daughter and twin sons. Peta's outside interests involve her in a number of charitable and voluntary organisations and for recreation she enjoys riding, shooting and just being with her family!

Career:

1977-1979 Director, R Buxton (textile marketing)

1979-1980 Legal Adviser, The Dairy Trade Federation

1980-1984 Legal Counsel, Barclays Bank International, New York and Barclays Bank plc, London

1984-1987 Legal Adviser and Assistant Secretary, The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising

1985-1997 Joint Managing Partner of Buscombe and Fiala (International Art Business)

2006 - Non-Executive Director, Three Valleys Water plc

2007-2009 Chief Executive, The Advertising Association

2007-2009 Director Asbof/Basbof

2007-2009 Director CAP/BCAP

2009 - Chairman, Press Complaints Commission

Politics:

1995-1999 Councillor, South Oxfordshire District Council

1997 Contested Slough in General Election

1995-1998 Vice Chairman, South Oxfordshire Conservative Association

1997-1999 Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party, Responsible for Party Development

1997-2001 President of the Slough Conservative Association

Shadow Minister in the House of Lords for:

1999-2001 - Trade and Industry (DBERR)

1999-2001 - Social Security (Work and Pensions)

1999-2007 - Legal Affairs, Deputy to the Shadow Lord Chancellor

2000-2003 - Cabinet Office Affairs

2001-2003 - Home Office

2002-2005 - Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)

2005-2007 Shadow Minister in the House of Lords for Education and Skills (DCSF)

2008 - President, Patrons, Henley Constituency

Member British-American All Party Group 1998 -

Founder, Conservative Network and Conservative Cultural Unit 1999

Launched, Conservative Future 1999

All Party Group for Corporate Social Responsibility 2001-

Vice Chairman All Party Group for Management Consultants 2001-2005

All Party Group for Intellectual Property 2004 -

All Party Group for Corporate Governance 2004 -

Westminster Media Forum 2002 -

Vice President, Debating Group 2005 -

Westminster eForum 2005 -

Westminster Education Forum 2005 -

Interim Steering Board for the Creative Industries Knowledge Transfer Network 2007-2009

Vice Chair, GLOBE UK (Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment) 2007-

Other Appointments:

Member Association of Rural Businesses in Oxfordshire 1994-2002

Chairman Goring and Streatley Amenity Association 1995-1998

Vice Patron Abbeyfield House Appeal 1998-2002

Patron of the Foundation for International Commercial Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution 1999-

Patron of PALS (Partnership for Active Leisure Scheme) 2000 -

Ambassador, Guide Association 2002 -

Member Advisory board Gow and partners 2003-2005

Patron, Inns of Court School of Law Conservative Association 1997 -

Vice President, Henley Society 2003 -

Member, Chiltern Society 1992 -

Robert Bowman Gall. Trust 2004 - 2008

Fellow of the RSA 2004 - 2008

Founder Patron of the Institute of Paralegals 2005 -

Member, RSA Risk Commission 2006 - 2008

UK Council for Child Internet Safety 2008 -

Public Health Commission 2008 - 2009

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