Government response
Letter to the Chairman of the Committee from the
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, dated
24 July 2008
Your letter of 13 May requested that urgent consideration
be given to reviewing the Government's approach to pre-appointment
hearings for certain Diplomatic appointments. Subsequently, the
FAC took oral evidence from Jack McConnell in anticipation of
his forthcoming appointment as High Commissioner to Malawi. In
its report on the hearing the Committee reiterated its view that
appointments of politicians to senior Diplomatic posts should
be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.
As you know, the Diplomatic Service Order in Council
1991 permits exceptions to the usual process for appointments
and this power has been exercised by successive Governments in
a small number of cases since 1945. The Civil Service clauses
in the Constitutional Renewal Bill maintain that exception, in
line with the Government's policy of recruiting skills and experience
from all areas of public life, although I recognise that this
power that should be used sparingly.
The question of pre-appointment scrutiny of diplomatic
appointments is one which is being considered in the context of
the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Constitutional Renewal Bill.
The Government will carefully consider the report of the Joint
Committee on the draft Bill, and I shall revert to you on the
question in that context.
Rt Hon David Miliband MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Letter to the Chairman of the Committee from the
Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
dated 13 October 2008
In his letter of 24 July, the Foreign Secretary provided
an interim reply to the FAC's Report into the proposed appointment
of Jack McConnell as High Commissioner to Malawi. The Foreign
Secretary noted his view that the permitted exception to the usual
process for appointment under the Diplomatic Service Order in
Council 1991 should be used sparingly, and that the question of
pre-appointment scrutiny of diplomatic appointments was being
considered in the context of the Constitutional Renewal Bill.
On the specific question of Mr McConnell's nomination
as High Commissioner to Malawi, I am grateful for the comments
of the FAC on the suitability of the proposed appointment given
Mr McConnell's past experience of promoting Scottish and UK relations
with Malawi. I also welcome the Committee's finding that both
the FCO and Mr McConnell conducted themselves without impropriety
in relation to the proposed appointment.
The Committee will be aware that the Prime Minister
has recently appointed Mr McConnell as his Special Representative
for Conflict Resolution Mechanisms, based in the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office. This two year appointment means that Mr McConnell will
not be able to take up the post as High Commissioner to Malawi
next year. The FCO, through our usual procedures, is now seeking
a new candidate to replace the current High Commissioner when
his tour ends in 2009.
Sir Peter Ricketts KCMG
Permanent Under-Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth
Office
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