Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department takes to ensure the fairness, and transparency in its recruitment and appointment processes for officials and advisers.

It is a requirement of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 that selection for recruitment to the Civil Service must be on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. This requirement is assured by an independent body, the Civil Service Commission. All Departmental recruitment and appointment policies and processes are underpinned by the requirements set out in the Act.

Special advisers, who are temporary civil servants, are appointed pursuant to the relevant provisions of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 and the Department complies with these provisions. The Cabinet Office oversees any special adviser appointment process.