Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department provides on financial settlements for public appointments that are cancelled or withdrawn.

There are a wide variety of public appointments which are made by Ministers. A person appointed to such a position is an office holder, whose appointment is defined by the office itself, not a contract.

An office holder’s terms of engagement will set out a Minister’s authority to terminate an appointment at any time with or without notice. Office holders do not receive payment in lieu of notice or severance for loss of office because they are not employees with contractual rights.