Non-executive director appointments

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 10 Jan 2024 Closed: 28 May 2024 Parliament page
Non-executive directors (NEDs) serve on the boards of Government departments and arm’s-length bodies (ALBs). Their role is to provide challenge and expert advice grounded in experience to management boards and Government ministers. The Committee’s 2021 report on Government’s delivery through arm’s-length bodies noted controversy around the appointment of NEDs to … Read more
11 Recommendations
12 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
3 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 7 events
11 Jul
2025
Report published
8 May
2024
Report published
16 Apr
2024
Correspondence
15 Apr
2024
Correspondence
15 Apr
2024
Correspondence
18 Mar
2024
Oral evidence
18 Mar
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
18 Mar 2024
View on parliament.uk
Non-executive director appointments
Elizabeth Passey · Rural Payments Agency Michael Jary · Cabinet Office Simon Madden · NHSX Sir Alex Chisholm · Cabinet Office
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Thirtieth Report - Non-executive appointments HC 460 8 May 2024 23 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
4 results
Clear
11 Recommendation Deferred
Thirtieth Report - Non-executive a…
Cabinet Office lacks comprehensive data on total non-executive directors serving across government boards.
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 … Read more
Government Response
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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14 Conclusion Deferred
Thirtieth Report - Non-executive a…
Cabinet Office yet to outline a plan for improving transparency of appointment data.
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
HM Treasury
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20 Conclusion Deferred
Thirtieth Report - Non-executive a…
Ministerial responsibility for Advisory Assessment Panel composition affects diversity in public appointments.
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
HM Treasury
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21 Recommendation Deferred
Thirtieth Report - Non-executive a…
Cabinet Office does not monitor diversity of Advisory Assessment Panels, contributing to insular processes.
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 … Read more
Government Response
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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Government Response AI assessment · 23 of 11 classified
Accepted 14
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 3
Deferred 4
Not Addressed 1
Total 11 recs + 12 conclusions
Correspondence 3 letters
16 Apr 2024 Correspondence from Simon Madden, Director of Propriety & Ethics, Cabinet Office, re Public Accounts Committee – Oral Evidence update Non-Executive Director appointment, dated 2 April 2024
Parliament page
15 Apr 2024 Correspondence from Simon Madden, Director of Propriety & Ethics, Cabinet Office, re Public Accounts Committee oral evidence session on Non-Executive Director Appointments - 18 March: transcript change requests, dated 2 April 2024
Parliament page
15 Apr 2024 Joint correspondence from Sir Alex Chisholm, Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office, Simon Madden, Director, Propriety and Ethics, Cabinet Office, and Michael Jary, Government Lead Non-Executive, Cabinet Office, re Public Accounts Committee oral evidence session on Non-Executive Director Appointments - 18 March: Cabinet Office follow up actions, dated 26 March 2024
Parliament page