Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department made of any potential conflicts of interest arising from his chairmanship of Post Office Limited.prior to the appointment of Tim Parker as Chairman of the Board of HM Courts & Tribunals Service.

Tim Parker was appointed Chairman of the HMCTS Board in April 2018 following an open and transparent recruitment process. As required under the terms of the HMCTS Framework Document, Tim’s appointment was made by the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Chief Justice and the Senior President of Tribunals, following the unanimous recommendation made by the recruitment panel. All of those involved in the appointment were aware of the fact that Mr. Parker is also Chairman of the Board of Post Office Limited, which they concluded did not present any conflict. HMCTS manages the administration of courts and tribunals; it has no influence on the outcome of hearings, which are decisions entirely for the independent judiciary.