Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Public appointments process remains too slow, despite recent reductions in average time.
Conclusion
The Cabinet Office agreed that it is not satisfactory that the appointments process takes so long. It noted that it is a ministerial priority to speed up the process. It reported that its latest data shows the number has fallen from an average 203 days in 2022–23 to 146 days, but acknowledged that additional work is needed to bring the number down to closer to the target of 90 days.12 The Cabinet Office attributed some of the delays to ministerial turnover as well as security vetting and reference checks. It is optimistic that the new applicant tracking system will allow it to identify where delays are occurring and intervene as needed.13 Poor data
Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 11 July 2025. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document ↗