Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department seeks references for candidates appointed to public positions which fall under the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

The Northern Ireland Office's regulated public appointment processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments and are governed by the principle of appointment on merit following a selection process that is open, impartial and assesses each candidate against the same criteria for the role in question. The department does not ask for references. However, in line with the Governance Code, candidates are asked to declare relevant interests and these are discussed at interview.