Public appointment: Members appointed to the Scottish Fiscal Commission Board

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Shona Robison, today announced the appointment of Dr. Eleanor Ryan and Justine Riccomini as Members of the Scottish Fiscal Commission. 

Member 

Dr. Eleanor Ryan has held senior leadership roles across government and public services, including as the Scottish Government Director with responsibility for the Scottish Budget, Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service, and the inaugural Chief Executive of Revenue Scotland. 

Justine Riccomini has over 30 years’ experience in tax and policy, beginning her career at the Inland Revenue before moving into senior roles in private practice. She later served as a senior adviser at the Office of Tax Simplification in HM Treasury and as Head of Employment and Devolved Taxes at ICAS. 

Appointment 

The appointments will be for 4 years and will run from 8 October 2025 to 7 October 2029. 

The appointments are regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner. 

Remuneration 

The appointments are part-time and attract a remuneration of £28,548 for a time commitment of 78 days per year. 

Other ministerial appointments 

Dr. Eleanor Ryan and Justine Riccomini do not hold any other public appointments. 

Political activity  

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.  However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.    

Dr. Eleanor Ryan and Justine Riccomini have had no political activity within the last five years.  

Background 

The Scottish Fiscal Commission is a Non-Ministerial Office – this means it is part of the Scottish Administration but not part of the Scottish Government ensuring its operational independence. It is directly accountable to the Scottish Parliament for the delivery of its functions which were set out in the Scottish Fiscal Commission Act 2016. 

The Commission must produce two reports each financial year forecasting Scottish GDP, income from devolved taxes and expenditure on devolved social security benefits. Its forecasts inform the Scottish Budget and assist in the scrutiny of fiscal events. The Commission also provides an assessment of the reasonableness of the Government’s borrowing projections.