Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Acknowledged
This Committee, alongside other Select Committees, has tried to accommodate the Government when pre-appointment hearings...
Conclusion
This Committee, alongside other Select Committees, has tried to accommodate the Government when pre-appointment hearings have needed to be completed urgently, scheduling them at short notice and reporting almost immediately. However, this has now become routine. Our predecessor Committee was assured that this would be addressed, yet no improvement has been evident. This has given rise to the assumption that the Government has intended to press on with the appointment, regardless of the view of Select Committees. (Paragraph 65) 40 Propriety of Governance in Light of Greensill
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the Committee's concerns about the pre-appointment process, stating that sufficient time must be allowed for this stage to be completed. It also notes the close relationship required for the Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests to be a direct ministerial appointment.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Paragraph 66 Too often, the Government has appeared to approach the pre-appointments process as a tick box exercise rather than an important component in the public appointments process. The Committee’s patience in this respect is not limitless. We are aware that this frustration is shared by other Select Committees. When making appointments that require a pre- appointment hearing, sufficient time must be allowed for this stage to be completed. Committee on Standards in Public Life, Recommendation 23 Chairs of standards committees should chair assessment panels for the appointment of their independent members. The Chairs of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, the House of Lords Appointments Commission, and the Committee on Standards in Public Life are appointed via the process for significant public appointments, while the Commissioner for Public Appointments is appointed via an equivalent process (noting that the Office of the Commissioner cannot regulate itself). The Government believes that the Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests should continue to be a direct ministerial appointment, given the close relationsh