Ofcom: Public Appointments

(asked on 2nd March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons the Government is not required to seek the approval of the House of Commons on the appointment of a new chair of Ofcom.


Answered by
John Whittingdale Portrait
John Whittingdale
This question was answered on 9th March 2021

The Ofcom Chair is appointed by the Secretary of State in line with the provisions of the Office of Communications Act 2002. Pre-appointment scrutiny by the House of Commons Select Committee for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is an important part of the public appointment process, once a preferred appointable candidate has been identified by the Secretary of State.

The government does not believe it is appropriate for the Committee to have the right to veto the appointment of the Ofcom Chair, or other similar public appointments, as the direct line of accountability and responsibility between the appointee and the Minister must be preserved.

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