Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Thirtieth Report - Non-executive appointments
Public Accounts Committee
HC 460
Published 8 May 2024
Recommendations
11
Deferred
Cabinet Office lacks comprehensive data on total non-executive directors serving across government boards.
Recommendation
The Cabinet Office does not know how many NEDs in total are serving on all government boards, including ALBs and government companies. The Cabinet Office and the Commissioner for Public Appointments collect data on regulated public appointments. However, the available …
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Government Response Summary
The government will consider including data on numbers and diversity of non-executive directors and unregulated public appointments in its annual public appointments data report as part of a new approach to data and transparency from April 2025, but notes data collection challenges and resource implications.
HM Treasury
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21
Deferred
Cabinet Office does not monitor diversity of Advisory Assessment Panels, contributing to insular processes.
Recommendation
We asked the Cabinet Office if it monitors and publishes a breakdown of the diversity of panel members, including gender and ethnicity details. The Cabinet Office said that it does not monitor the composition of Advisory Assessment Panels. It told …
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Government Response Summary
The Cabinet Office will consider collecting and publishing diversity data on Advisory Assessment Panel members via the digital platform in the 2025-26 financial year, but this is contingent on scoping work. They will confirm intentions by April 2025 as part of a new approach to data and transparency.
HM Treasury
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Conclusions (2)
14
Conclusion
Deferred
We asked when the Cabinet Office will decide what information it will provide to Ministers, and to Parliament, in order to improve transparency of the appointment process. The Cabinet Office acknowledged that the system was not working perfectly yet and said that it would be introducing some enhancements.23 The Cabinet …
Government Response Summary
The Cabinet Office will implement a refreshed approach to data and transparency in relation to public appointments from April 2025 and review the process and content of its report on public appointments to improve transparency and consider more frequent data publication.
20
Conclusion
Deferred
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 …
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.