Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether appointments to the membership of the honours committees are regulated public appointments, or follow the processes for regulated public appointments and the Governance Code on Public Appointments.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Appointments to the ten independent honours committees are not ministerial or regulated public appointments and are not on the Public Appointments Order in Council. Honours committee appointments have always been made through fair and open competition with appointments made on merit, in line with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments's (OCPA) best practice. However, they are not bound by OCPA codes as they are not regulated public appointments.
Under the previous administration, between August 2022 and September 2024, the Prime Minister was responsible for making committee appointments, with advice from the Head of the Civil Service. This was a novel and significant introduction of ministerial involvement in honours.
In September 2024, the HD Committee made a recommendation to His Majesty the King to return control over the appointment of independent honours committee members to the Head of the Civil Service to insure political independence of process. This process was approved by His Majesty the King in September 2024. This means that under the current administration, the Head of the Civil Service is responsible for oversight of the honours system and is the appointing authority for all independent honours committee appointments. The Prime Minister is informed of all honours committee appointments once approved by the Head of the Civil Service.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what changes have been made to the processes for appointing the membership of the honours committees since the dissolution of the last Parliament.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Appointments to the ten independent honours committees are not ministerial or regulated public appointments and are not on the Public Appointments Order in Council. Honours committee appointments have always been made through fair and open competition with appointments made on merit, in line with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments's (OCPA) best practice. However, they are not bound by OCPA codes as they are not regulated public appointments.
Under the previous administration, between August 2022 and September 2024, the Prime Minister was responsible for making committee appointments, with advice from the Head of the Civil Service. This was a novel and significant introduction of ministerial involvement in honours.
In September 2024, the HD Committee made a recommendation to His Majesty the King to return control over the appointment of independent honours committee members to the Head of the Civil Service to insure political independence of process. This process was approved by His Majesty the King in September 2024. This means that under the current administration, the Head of the Civil Service is responsible for oversight of the honours system and is the appointing authority for all independent honours committee appointments. The Prime Minister is informed of all honours committee appointments once approved by the Head of the Civil Service.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what role does (1) the Prime Minister, and (2) the Cabinet Secretary, play in the selection of appointments to the membership of the honours committees.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Appointments to the ten independent honours committees are not ministerial or regulated public appointments and are not on the Public Appointments Order in Council. Honours committee appointments have always been made through fair and open competition with appointments made on merit, in line with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments's (OCPA) best practice. However, they are not bound by OCPA codes as they are not regulated public appointments.
Under the previous administration, between August 2022 and September 2024, the Prime Minister was responsible for making committee appointments, with advice from the Head of the Civil Service. This was a novel and significant introduction of ministerial involvement in honours.
In September 2024, the HD Committee made a recommendation to His Majesty the King to return control over the appointment of independent honours committee members to the Head of the Civil Service to insure political independence of process. This process was approved by His Majesty the King in September 2024. This means that under the current administration, the Head of the Civil Service is responsible for oversight of the honours system and is the appointing authority for all independent honours committee appointments. The Prime Minister is informed of all honours committee appointments once approved by the Head of the Civil Service.
Asked by: Baroness Finn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether exit payments may be made to councillors when a councillor loses office or is no longer required to undertake specific duties within a local authority.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The rules on councillors’ allowances are set out in the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003. The rules are clear that allowances are paid on a pro rata basis should a councillor lose office or, is no longer required to undertake a specific duty, during the course of the year. The rules make no provision for allowances to be paid as a result of loss of office or no longer performing specific duties. Any such exit payments would therefore be unlawful. Whilst I am aware that the last Labour Government proposed legislation to facilitate such 'golden goodbyes' (DCLG, The Government Response to the Councillors Commission, July 2008, p. 22), we have no plans to amend the law in this respect.