Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether a person employed by the Cabinet Office has authority to direct, influence or advise the Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission in the exercise of their delegated powers including awarding departmental audit scores, allocating competitions, reserve list decisions, complaints under the Recruitment Principles, Civil Service Code appeals and appointments of near misses.

As set out in the Framework Agreement between the Cabinet Office and the Civil Service Commission, the Chief Executive of the Civil Service Commission is a Senior Civil Servant at the Cabinet Office, recruited to the Civil Service on merit following an open and fair competition carried out under the terms of the Recruitment Principles, and seconded to the Civil Service Commission. They are line managed by the Senior Sponsor, the Director of Propriety and Ethics, with input from the First Civil Service Commissioner into their performance objectives and annual appraisals

The Commission is operationally independent of the Government. The Commission and its staff, including the Chief Executive, act in accordance with its legislation and under the direction of the independent First Civil Service Commissioner and the independent Civil Service Commissioners, who are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition following the principles set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments (although the Civil Service Commission is not a regulated body).

As set out in the Commission's Annual Report and Accounts for 2024-25, a department's audit report, score and recommendations are discussed and agreed at one of four audit moderation meetings with the First Civil Service Commissioner, a panel of Commissioners and the Chief Executive.