Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners,
Department for Children, Schools and Families
Thank you for the opportunity to give evidence
to the Children, Schools and Families Committee inquiry into the
National Curriculum last year.
In response to question 566,36 I committed to
providing further information on how the pre-appointment hearing
arrangements will apply to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
(QCA). I apologise for not being able to respond earlier.
The Government response to the Liaison Committee's
first report of session 2007-08, published on 2 June 2008 (HC
594), listed the following public appointments under my Department
as subject to pre-appointment hearings: the Chair of the Qualifications
and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA); the Chair of Ofqual;
the Children's Commissioner for England; and HM Chief Inspector
of Education, Children's Services and Skills.
Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Apprenticeships,
Skills, Children and Learning Bill will turn the QCA into the
QCDA, and will establish the Office of Qualifications and Examinations
Regulation (Ofqual). Last year, the Secretary of State appointed
Kathleen Tattersall as the first Chair of Ofqual, which was created
on an interim basis last April, and in November he appointed a
new Chair of the QCA, Chris Trinick, to lead its transformation
into the QCDA. Once Ofqual is established, it will be a Non-Ministerial
Department accountable to Parliament in the same way that Ofsted
is, and the Chair will be a Crown appointment. QCDA will remain
accountable to the Secretary of State and the Chair will be a
Secretary of State appointment. However, in line with Cabinet
Office guidance, any new candidates for each role will in future
face scrutiny under pre-appointment hearing arrangements.
The Chief Executive of QCA is not a public appointment
by the Secretary of State, but is recruited as an employee by
the QCA Board, with the approval of the Secretary of State. The
Chief Executive reports to the QCA Board. We intend that this
arrangement will continue when the QCA becomes the QCDA.
For this reason, the public appointment of the
Chair of QCDA, rather than the recruitment of the Chief Executive,
is the appropriate role for pre-appointment hearings.
I am placing a copy in both libraries of the
House.
February 2009
36 See Ev 231-32
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