The Work and Pensions Committee held an evidence session with the Government’s preferred candidate for the role of Chair of the Pensions Regulator.
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sixth Report - The appointment of Sarah Smart as Chair of t… | HC 1358 | 23 Apr 2021 | 5 | Overdue |
We would like to put on record our thanks to Mark Boyle for his service as Chair over the past seven years. (Paragraph 6) Conclusion
During the pre-appointment hearing, we discussed with Mrs Smart the potential conflicts of interest arising from her spouse’s role as Chief Executive of British Airways Pensions. She told us that he was making plans to leave that role and would do so by September 2021 at the latest. We support …
We are conscious, however, that—given wider economic uncertainty—her spouse’s situation may change. In that event, we would urge TPR, the Pensions Minister and Mrs Smart herself to consider whether she can remain in her role.
We were surprised to hear that Mrs Smart had not met the Pensions Minister before being chosen for this role. We urge them to arrange a meeting at the earliest possible opportunity. (Paragraph 19) TPR’s Code of Conduct for Board members
In the course of preparing for this hearing, we discovered that TPR’s practice has been to publish only a “summary” of its board members’ declared interests—not including interests arising from connected parties, such as family members. We welcome the rapid review of the Code of Conduct and related rules and …
| Date | Witnesses | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 2021 | Sarah Smart, Government’s preferred candidate for Chair of the Pensions Regulator | View ↗ |
| Date | Direction | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 2021 | To cttee | Letter from Anthony Raymond, General Counsel, the Pensions Regulator, about TPR… |
| 21 Apr 2021 | — | Correspondence with Sarah Smart, the govt's preferred candidate for Chair of th… |