Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 25 September (HL972), whether the Lord Speaker and the Commission were consulted regarding the recruitment of two external members to the Management Board, and whether they approved this recruitment exercise.

The role of the House of Lords Commission is to provide high-level strategic and political direction for the House of Lords Administration. Matters of executive management are the responsibility of the Clerk of the Parliaments. In this role he is supported by the Management Board. Accordingly, appointments to the Board are made by him.

External non-executive directors have been appointed by the Clerk of the Parliaments to the Management Board for several years, with the first appointment made in 2017. The recent recruitment campaign of the non-executive directors was approved and conducted by the Clerk of the Parliaments, in consultation with other senior administration officials. Non-executive members are used across the administrations of both Houses to provide independent advice, support and challenge about the management and delivery of services, and the practice is also adopted across the wider Civil Service.