Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many names were provided to Ministers to enable them to take a formal decision on the appointment of the Pubs Code Adjudicator.
Answered by Anna Soubry
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Hove on 10 March, Official Report, Vol 607, Col 426.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2016 to Question 30698, whether the person appointed as Pubs Code Adjudicator was the recommended choice of the panel.
Answered by Anna Soubry
In line with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies, at the end of the process the Minister is given a choice of candidates assessed by the interview panel as appointable. Mr Newby was assessed as appointable by the panel,
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2016 to Question 30693, on the Pubs Code Adjudicator, how many people were approached by (a) his Department and (b) Saxton Bampflyde Limited; and how many of those people (i) previously worked and (ii) work for pub companies.
Answered by Anna Soubry
It is standard Government practice not to announce the number of people approached or the details of candidates.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what role Ministers played in the recruitment process for the Pubs Code Adjudicator.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The process was conducted in accordance with the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies.
Ministers at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills took active involvement in overseeing the recruitment process for the Pubs Code Adjudicator.
The Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise met the candidates judged by the panel as appointable. In accordance with the Code of Practice, a senior representative of OCPA was present at those meetings.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions his Department had with Mr Paul Newby's employer on his contributions to the draft Pubs Code.
Answered by Anna Soubry
No such discussions were held.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations were (a) made by his Department to pub companies and (b) received from such companies on the recruitment of the Pubs Code Adjudicator.
Answered by Anna Soubry
No such representations were made or received.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, who was on the interview panels for the recruitment of the Pubs Code Adjudicator.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The following individuals formed the Interview Panel for this vacancy:
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many applicants to the Pubs Code Adjudicator vacancy were subject to departmental clearance checks; and how many applicants did not pass those checks and for what reasons.
Answered by Anna Soubry
In accordance with standard departmental practice, successful candidates are subject to departmental clearance checks.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department or Saxton Bampfylde Ltd approached any person to apply for the Pubs Code Adjudicator vacancy.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The Department and the contracted executive search agency, Saxton Bampfylde, approached individuals to consider applying for the Pubs Code Adjudicator vacancy. This was done in accordance with standard practice.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish the actual or potential conflicts of interest declared by the Pubs Code Adjudicator, Mr Paul Newby, prior to his appointment.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The appointment panel satisfied itself there were no conflicts of interest when they made recommendations to Ministers. In due course and as is usual practice, the Adjudicator’s office will publish a register of interests.