Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the current Cabinet Secretary was appointed from a Reserve List in Merit Order.

The Cabinet Manual sets out that the Cabinet Secretary is appointed directly by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister receives advice from the First Civil Service Commissioner, but is the final decision maker.

As set out in the Gov.UK announcement of the Cabinet Secretary appointment, “the Prime Minister and the First Civil Service Commissioner agreed a process to appoint a new Cabinet Secretary”.

Once this process was complete, the First Civil Service Commissioner confirmed that “Dame Antonia Romeo is an exceptional candidate of the highest calibre, having run two of the largest operational departments in Government, and confirmed her track record makes her the right candidate for the role”. The PM appointed her on the 19th February.