Advisory Committee on Business Appointments
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This article is part of the Revolving Door project of Spinwatch. |
The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments describes itself as "an independent body which provides advice to the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, or other Ministers if requested, on applications from the most senior Crown servants who wish to take up outside appointments within 2 years of leaving Crown service." [1]
Contents
History
The committee was set up in 1975 to advise the prime minister on applications by the most senior Crown Servants to take up appointments outside government. [2] It is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Cabinet Office.
Staff
Current members of the committee in 2015 are:
- Baroness Browning, chair.
- Mark Addison, member. A public appointments assessor for the Commissioner for Public Appointments.[3]
- Sir Alex Allan, member.
- Lord German OBE, member. Former leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Cardiff City Council for 12 years between 1983 and 1995, elected to represent South Wales East in the first ever elections for the National Assembly for Wales in 1999, in 2000 he took the party into a coalition government, holding the post of Deputy First Minister, and also various ministerial portfolios including the Economy, Europe and Rural Affairs, he led the Party in the National Assembly until December 2008.[4]
- Mary Jo Jacobi, member.
- The Rt Hon Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke, member.
- Sir Hugh Stevenson, member.
- Field Marshal The Lord Walker of Aldringham GCB CMG CBE DL, member.[5]
In October 2014 ACOBA announced that it was seeking applications for the position of chair of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, and for three positions as members of the Committee. Closing date for applications was 30 October 2014, with interviews due to take place for the chair role in November and for members in mid-December 2014.
- For the Chair role a non-pensionable honorarium of £8,000 is payable. For the Member roles a non-pensionable honorarium of £3,000 is payable. All members of the Committee are also eligible to claim any reasonable travel and subsistence expenses incurred in the course of their work.
- The Chair is expected to commit an average of 2-3 days a month to the role. Members are expected to commit an average of 1-2 days a month. [6]
Former members
- Ian Lang (Lord Lang of Monkton), Conservative former Scottish Secretary and former Member of Parliament. (Committee Chairman.) - stepped down in March 2014
- Juliet Wheldon (Dame Juliet Wheldon) - served on the Committee from April 2009 to July 2011. She stepped down at the end of July 2011 for personal reasons. [7]
- Bryan Nicholson - dates tbc
- Gus Macdonald (Lord Macdonald of Tradeston). Labour former minister and former MP.
- Navnit Dholakia (Lord Dholakia), Liberal Democrat deputy leader in the House of Lords.
- Colin Budd
Secretariat
The secretariat for the committee is provided by the Cabinet Office, who sponsor the Advisory Committee as an advisory non-departmental public body. [8]
Representatives as of December 2011: Geraldine Alexander (Secretary) | Kate Campbell | Richard Jarvis | Roger Sampson
Review into ACOBA
In March 2012 the House of Commons Public Administration Committee held an evidence session looking at the Business Appointment Rules. It heard evidence from Sir Christopher Kelly the chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, Chandrashekhar Krishnan from Transparency International UK and Professor David Miller from campaign group Spinwatch. Watch the session on BBC Democracy Live.
Contact
- Address: Room G/8,
- 1 Horse Guards Road,
- London,
- SW1A 2HQ
- Email: acoba@acoba.gov.uk
- Phone: 020 7271 0839 or 07880 740627
Resources
- Session 2010-12 Business Appointment Rules. Written evidence submitted by Spinwatch (BA 04), House of Commons, www.parliament.co.uk
- [Business Appointment Rules: Government Response to the Committee's Third Report of Session 2012-13 - Administration Committee Contents: Appendix: Government response, www.parliament.co.uk, Prepared 17 July 2014
Notes
- ↑ Advisory Committee on Business Appointments Home Page Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, accessed 12/02/2010
- ↑ Advisory Committee on Business Appointments: About Us [1], accessed 12/02/2010
- ↑ Gov.UK Mark Addison, accessed 10 March 2015
- ↑ Gov.UK Lord German, accessed 10 March 2015
- ↑ Gov.UK Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, accessed 10 March 2015
- ↑ Public Appointments, Cabinet Office, undated, accessed 28 October 2014
- ↑ Committee, ACoBA website, page last updated 2 December 2011
- ↑ Advisory Committee on Business Appointments: About Us [2], accessed 12/02/2010
