3 Future scrutiny of diplomatic appointments
16. As we have noted in paragraph 4 above, it
has been our long-standing policy to submit to scrutiny any major
diplomatic or consular appointment of a person from outside the
diplomatic service. Such appointments are rare,[17]
and where the person appointed is a politician or a person with
close links to the governing party, it is understandable that
there may be public concern that the usual process of appointment
on merit is being set aside. For this reason we believe it is
essential that Parliament should play a role in scrutinising any
such appointments.
17. We are therefore concerned that the Government,
in its own recent proposals to encourage select committees to
hold 'pre-appointment hearings' on a more systematic basis, does
not accept that "major diplomatic or consular appointments
of a person from outside the diplomatic service" should be
one of the categories of appointment it recognises as suitable
for this kind of scrutiny.[18]
18. The Liaison Committee has raised this issue
with the Government and has supported our view that this category
should be added to the Government's list.[19]
We trust that the Liaison Committee will continue to press this
issue with Ministers.
19. We re-emphasise our commitment to giving
such outside appointments full scrutiny where appropriate. This
is a matter which falls squarely within our Standing Orders from
the House ("to examine the expenditure, administration and
policy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its associated
public bodies"). It is entirely in the public interest for
such scrutiny to be carried out, and we are the appropriate parliamentary
body to do so. We recommend that the Government should publicly
acknowledge this, and should undertake to give us such assistance
as is necessary in carrying out this task.
20. We also intend, as part of our forthcoming
inquiry into the FCO's annual report for 2007-08, to examine some
of the wider issues raised by Mr McConnell's proposed appointment,
and by the previous appointments set out in the Annex to this
Report.
17 A list of non-diplomats appointed to senior diplomatic
postings since 1945 is set out as an Annex to this Report. Back
18
See Liaison Committee, First Report of Session 2007-08, Pre-appointment
hearings by select committees (HC 384), para 10 and Annex
A Back
19
Ibid., paras 11 and 16 Back
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