The chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee has told MPs investigating the public appointments process for roles such as the chair of the Charity Commission that it should be changed so that if committees express concerns, ministers are forced to pause and reconsider.
Damian Collins, Conservative MP for Folkstone and Hythe and chair of the DCMS committee, which is responsible for scrutiny of the Charity Commission, was giving evidence to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee inquiry into pre-appointment hearings yesterday.
Earlier this year his committee produced a negative report after holding a pre-appointment hearing with Baroness Stowell – the government’s candidate to the next chair of the Charity Commission - but Matt Hancock, Culture Secretary, pressed ahead with the appointment.
Collins’ main objection is the speed with which Hancock quickly continued with the appointment, without appearing to pay much attention to the concerns raised by his committee.
He said it: “Begs the question ‘why should we take the time out of our very busy schedule to hold these hearings if there is no value attached to it’?”
He said the decision to file a negative report was not one “we took lightly” and that it was the first time his committee had filed a negative report following a pre-appointment hearing.
“It was a unanimous decision,” he added, and said that this is why it is “particularly disappointing” that there was “no requirement for a pause”.
There should be a pause mechanism
Collins said he thought there should be way for the process to be paused if select committees raise concerns.
“I don’t believe that select committees should have a power of veto over public appointments,” he said but that if concerns have been raised “there should be something built into the system that allows a period of reflection before the appointment is confirmed”.
He suggested that one way to do this would be to refer the matter to the House of Commons for a resolution which would “bring in the views of other members” and act as a “further and more public form of scrutiny”.
This could also “make the minister really consider whether they wanted to go through with it,” he said.
Will work constructively
In light of the public spat over Stowell’s appointment, Collins was also asked if it would affect the committee’s relationship with the Commission.
He said he had known her before she was appointed and that he is meeting her again soon.
“I hope that we will have a good professional working relationship,” he said.
From now on the focus will be “purely” on the work of the Commission, he added, and said that he wanted her to success as it is a “very important role” and “important for the sector”.
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