Select committee: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Conclusion 28
Eighth Report - Appointment of Richard Sharp as Chair of the BBC
Published 12 Feb 2023
Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee Appointment of Richard Sharp as Chair of the BBC All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The public appointments process can only work effectively if all those involved are open and transparent. Richard Sharp chose to tell the then Prime Minister both of his application to Chair the BBC and of his involvement in the arrangement of a loan for the Mr Johnson but decided not to tell either the appointment panel or this Committee about his actions. The Prime Minister, the panel and this Committee are all integral to the appointment process for the Chair of the BBC, but only Mr Johnson was fully aware of Mr Sharp’s potential conflict at the time the appointment was made. The Government, and all those involved in the public appointments process must ensure that the future public appointments process is not clouded by partial disclosure.
From: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Eighth Report - Appointment of Richard Sharp as Chair of the BBC (HC 1147), 12 February 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 29 June 2023 (deadline 12 April 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government "notes" the Committee's conclusions on Mr Sharp's appointment and says it will respond further "in due course" to the recommendations in Mr Heppinstall KC's report.
- The government says Mr Heppinstall KC's report outlines that Mr Sharp "failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest" to the interview Panel, and that Mr Sharp has resigned as Chair.
- It is "currently considering" the report's recommendations, which include proposals on the public appointments process in general, and "will respond further in due course".
- An Acting Chair has been appointed in line with the BBC Royal Charter, and "planning for a process to appoint a permanent new Chair is also underway".
- On advice given to Boris Johnson, the government refers to the report's findings that it was "neither commissioned nor obtained until after the appointment process was almost over".