Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 20
20
Deferred
Ministerial responsibility for Advisory Assessment Panel composition affects diversity in public appointments.
Conclusion
Advisory Assessment Panels serve an important role in the appointment process. The panel determines the shortlist, interviews candidates, and produces a list of 31 C&AG’s Report, para 14 32 Cabinet Office, Public Appointments Diversity Action Plan 2019, page 5 33 Q 72; C&AG’s Report, para 14 34 Q 68 35 Q 72 36 Qq 62, 68–71 37 Q 74 38 Qq 82, 83 39 Correspondence from Cabinet Office to Public Accounts Committee, 26 March 2024 14 Non-executive appointments appointable candidates. The appointing minister than chooses from among the list of appointable candidates.40 We challenged the Cabinet Office on whether it was committed to making sure that Advisory Assessment Panels are diverse and reflect the experience and background that it wants to see in applicants for public appointments. The Cabinet Office responded that Ministers are responsible for agreeing the composition of Advisory Assessment Panels.41
Government Response Summary
The Cabinet Office is considering whether to bring forward plans to collect panel member information via the digital platform in the 2025-26 financial year, but requires further detailed scoping work. The government will further consider whether it is able to publish this data regularly and confirm its intentions as part of implementing a new approach to data and transparency by April 2025.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
3.6 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: April 2025 3.7 The Cabinet Office is aware that some departments collect information of this nature, and some do not. The Cabinet Office is considering whether to bring forward plans to collect panel member information via the digital platform in the 2025-26 financial year. However, this requires further detailed scoping work. The government will further consider whether it is able to publish this data regularly and confirm its intentions as part of implementing a new approach to data and transparency by April 2025 (see response to recommendation 1a). The Cabinet Office will discuss with the Commissioner for Public Appointments whether the publication of this data could be included as part of, and in conjunction with, the publication of wider public appointment diversity data.