Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department seeks references for candidates appointed to public positions which fall under the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
The Department has a robust recruitment process in place for appointments that are regulated by the Commissioner which is in line with the process and principles set out in the 2016 Governance Code on Public Appointments. It is Departmental policy to take up references for candidates shortlisted for interview and this is set out clearly in the candidate information pack for each recruitment campaign.