1 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 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 chairs
on which posts should be subject to such hearings.[4]
1 Ministry of Justice, The Governance of Britain,
Cm 7170, July 2007, p 28 Back
2
Ministry of Justice, The Governance of Britain, Cm 7170,
July 2007, p 29 Back
3
House of Commons Liaison Committee, First Report of Session 2007-08,
Pre-appointment hearings by select committees, HC 384,
March 2008 Back
4
House of Commons Liaison Committee, First Report of Session 2007-2008,
Pre-appointment hearings by select committees, HC 384,
March 2008, para 11 and Annex B Back
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