Damian Collins, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, has written a second letter to Matt Hancock, the culture secretary, with further questions about how Baroness Stowell was selected to be the next Charity Commission chair.
The committee of MPs, which is responsible for oversight of the charity sector, held a pre-appointment hearing with Baroness Stowell on Tuesday, and wrote to Hancock, the minister who is responsible for the appointment, to say that the committee could not support the appointment on Tuesday afternoon.
During the pre-appointment hearing, MPs grilled Stowell on her charity experience and previous involvement in frontline politics. Stowell said she had not been selected for her charity experience, but because she had the right skills and experience to help the sector and the regulator tackle the problem of falling public trust.
Yesterday Hancock gave Stowell his full backing despite the committee's questions. Julia Unwin, a charity leader and one of the independent panel members on the selection committee, said that Stowell had been the outstanding candidate on the day.
Yesterday the committee published two letters, one from Hancock outlining his support for Stowell, and Collins’ response, requesting more detail.
‘Strong leadership is needed’
Hancock told the committee that Stowell was the unanimous choice of the selection committee and that she was “an exceptionally strong candidate” with “an ability for clear strategic oversight”.
He said that this is a “critical” time for charities and the regulator. “There is evidence of declining public trust in the face of recent revelations, and strong leadership from the Charity Commission is an urgent imperative.”
He said there was “no evidence” that having few ties to the sector was a bad thing, and that “fresh perspective is very valuable. The Commission itself is packed with sector expertise”.
Hancock said the “firm but collaborative approach” that Stowell had outlined was the right one and emphasised her ability to be “seen as an impartial leader”.
The process of recruiting a new chair for the Charity Commission began last summer. Six candidates were shortlisted and interviewed by the assessment panel and three were found to meet the criteria to be appointable and offered the opportunity to meet the minister for civil society, Tracey Crouch.
Speaking to Civil Society News, Julia Unwin, who was an independent panel member, said she was certain that Stowell was the best candidate.
"Out of all the candidates, she was the outstanding one," she said.
Committee ‘disappointed’
But in a letter dated today (22 February), Collins said the committee was “disappointed that the concerns raised by the committee were dismissed so swiftly”.
He reiterated the committee’s concerns and said “your letter does not address the substance of these points”. He asked Hancock to provide a fuller response.
Collins also asked four further questions:
- Can you confirm that the role of the interview panel was simply to assess which candidates were appointable, and not to indicate which one should be appointed? Can you confirm that the final decision on who should be appointed was a decision for ministers to make?
- Did your department recommend to 10 Downing Street the appointment of any other candidate for the role of chair of the Charity Commission to succeed Sir William Shawcross, prior to recommending Baroness Stowell - either before or since your appointment as secretary of state?
- Since she left the Government in 2016, has Baroness Stowell been offered or recommended for any other public appointments by the department?
- Were any candidates with regulatory and/or charities experience interviewed? If so, why was the preferred candidate was chosen ahead of them?
The committee has asked the minister to respond by noon on Monday 26 February and said it will then publish its report setting out its reservations in detail.
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