Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2023 to Question 191947 on Ofcom: Managers, what swift and appropriate actions can Ofcom take if a senior manager leaves to join a company it regulates.

Ofcom has a robust conflicts of interest policy in place for employees which is reviewed regularly. This requires senior managers to advise the Director of People and Transformation and / or the Chief Executive if they have accepted an offer of employment at an employer with which Ofcom engages on work-related issues. Consideration is then given to any conflicts of interest which may be triggered and appropriate action taken, such as removing individuals from particular areas of work. This is considered on a case-by-case basis depending on the company the individual is moving to and the decisions for which they are responsible.

Additionally, Executive Directors must notify the Chair (in the case of the Chief Executive) or the Chief Executive and Chair (in the case of other Executive Directors) where they have applied for, or are in discussion with a search agency about, a specific role in an Ofcom regulated firm or a sector significantly impacted by Ofcom regulation. The Chair and Chief Executive will consider whether and what action needs to be taken if a conflict of interest may be triggered, for example removing the individual from work involved in the regulation of the applicable sector or placing them on garden leave.

All employees are required to keep confidential any information that they have been privy to because of their role at Ofcom and which is not in the public domain.