Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what mechanisms are in place to monitor compliance by former senior civil servants of conditions set by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments for their appointments.

The independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) is responsible for advising Government and former Ministers on the application of the Business Appointment Rules. It publishes its advice online, ensuring that its consideration and any conditions imposed are publicly available, to encourage effective scrutiny and accountability for former ministers and senior civil servants.

ACOBA will also make its views public when applications are received retrospectively, in order to draw attention to an individual’s failure to seek the Committee’s advice in advance of taking up a role.