Pre-appointment hearings
1. Government proposals for pre-appointment hearings
were set out in the 2007 Green Paper The Governance of Britain.
The Government sought to "involve Parliament in the appointment
of key public officials" to "positions in which Parliament
has a particularly strong interest because the officeholder exercises
statutory or other powers in relation to protecting the public's
rights and interests".[1]
The paper continued:
The hearing would be non-binding, but in light of
the report from the committee Ministers would decide whether to
proceed. The hearings would cover issues such as the candidate's
suitability for the role, his or her key priorities, and the process
used in the selection.[2]
2. The Liaison Committee subsequently produced a
set of guidelines to ensure pre-appointment hearings are conducted
appropriately, and in order to "maintain an appointments
process which is proportionate and continues to attract high-quality
candidates".[3] The
Liaison Committee also consulted with select committee chairmen
on which posts should be subject to such hearings.[4]
The post of Chair of Natural England is one of the positions to
which this procedure applies.
3. The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs, Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, wrote to the Chairman
on 8 August 2009 indicating that Poul Christensen had been identified
as the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of Natural England.[5]
We were pleased to have the opportunity to question Mr Christensen
prior to his appointment.
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