Sian Jarvis

This article is part of the Lobbying Portal, a sunlight project from Spinwatch.

Sian Jarvis is group director of communications and public affairs at Asda, a position she took up in November 2011 after 12 years at the UK's Department of Health (DoH). She had been the DoH's director-general for communications since 2004.

Revolving door

Asda was heavily involved in the DoH’s flagship healthy eating programme, Change4Life. The £250 million anti-obesity scheme, which Ms Jarvis oversaw, gave money-off vouchers for healthy products that could be redeemed on Asda’s own-brand food.

According to the Daily Mail, Jarvis left the DoH 'amid rumours of infighting as Health Secretary Andrew Lansley attempted to introduce reforms'.

Last night an Asda spokeswoman said the Cabinet Office had cleared Ms Jarvis’s appointment.

She said: ‘Sian’s appointment has been scrutinised by the business appointments committee in the normal way. It is satisfied there is no conflict of interest and has cleared her. There is a two-year ban on lobbying Ministers that applies to all senior civil servants, which safeguards against any potential conflicts.’