Monday 20 December 2021
The Commissioner responded to Julian Knight MP’s letter regarding applicants to public appointments processes. Letter from William Shawcross to Julian Knight MP (PDF, 2 pages, 141KB)
Thursday 23 September 2021
The Commissioner for Public Appointments has a press release for his 2020/21 Annual Report, outlining some of the findings and what he considers to be unfinished business. The Press Release can be found here (PDF, 4 pages, 99 KB)
Thursday 23 September 2021
As I finally step down as Commissioner for Public Appointments at the end of September after nearly five and a half years, my feelings are mixed. There are strong positives – the commitment of thousands of people who serve on the boards of arms-length bodies which serve the public, often for little or no pay, […]
Tuesday 3 August 2021
The Commissioner for Public Appointments has written to Lord Evans KCB DL, regarding the recent competition to find new members of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. Letter to Lord Evans from Rt Hon Peter Riddell (PDF, 2 pages, 184 KB)
Thursday 22 July 2021
The Commissioner for Public Appointments has written to the Rt Hon Michael Give MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, regarding delays to a number of high profile public appointments competitions. Letter to Rt Hon Michael Gove MP (PDF, 2 pages, 182 KB) Rt Hon Michael Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, replied to […]
Tuesday 15 June 2021
The Commissioner for Public Appointments has written to the Chair of the DCMS Select Committee, Julian Knight MP, regarding the competition to recruit the new Chair of Ofcom. Letter to Julian Knight MP 14 June 2021 (PDF, 2 pages, 630 KB)
Friday 28 May 2021
The Commissioner gave a speech to the Constitution Unit in April 2021. At this, he was asked questions from the audience about social mobility and diversity in public appointments. This letter to Dermot Feenan, an attendee of that seminar (PDF, 4 pages, 118KB) follows up on points in that discussion, correspondence with Mr Feenan, and […]
Thursday 29 April 2021
Public appointments matter since arms length bodies are responsible for running, regulating or advising on large swathes of British life – from national museums and galleries via prisons, charities, social mobility and human rights to scientific research and the NHS. My role as Commissioner for Public Appointments over the past five years has been to […]
Tuesday 20 April 2021
It is five years this spring since the publication of Gerry (now Lord) Grimstone’s review of the public appointments process – which coincided with my nomination as the independent Public Appointments Commissioner. A comparison of the Grimstone analysis and what has happened since then reveals some disappointed hopes but also that many of the inherent, and […]
Thursday 25 March 2021
A review of pay rates for public appointments made in 2019 – 2020 has been published today showing remuneration is inconsistent and variable, with over half of public appointments receiving no remuneration at all. Publishing his thematic review, Peter Riddell said: “One of my main objectives as Commissioner for Public Appointments has been to seek […]
