Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2024 to Question 1260 on Senior Civil Servants: Recruitment, whether the Director of Special Advisers and Chancellor Engagement role was open to external candidates.

The grade of the Director of Special Advisers and Chancellor Engagement post is SCS pay band 2.

The appointment of the Director of Special Advisers and Chancellor Engagement followed the correct processes. The postholder has been a civil servant for 7 years. She had passed a selection board for a role at director level prior to the General Election being called. A similar director role had previously been filled by a civil servant. The incumbent has been appointed for an initial period of 6 months.