Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department seeks references for candidates appointed to public positions which fall under the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
References are not routinely requested for public appointments which fall under the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, as they may not always be the most appropriate, fair or open way of making an assessment of candidates.
However, the Governance Code on Public Appointments sets out that the Advisory Assessment Panel must be satisfied that all candidates can meet the Seven Principles of Public Life, adhere to the Code of Conduct for board members of public bodies and do not have any conflicts of interest which are not manageable within the context of the role.