This information is not centrally held by the Department, however we are aware of two roles which fall into this category.<\/p>
In line with central guidance, direct appointments can be made to short-term, advisory roles, for example to lead a government review or to advise on, or champion, a specific subject. The name and purpose of a role can vary, but each appointee is provided with terms of appointment which set out their key responsibilities.<\/p>
Direct appointees are office holders. There is no contract of employment, and the expectation is that such roles are unpaid. However, in limited circumstances, if the Permanent Secretary/Accounting Officer is content, then reasonable remuneration (in line with current policy on pay levels) may be payable.<\/p>
When selecting an appointee (for a direct appointment), Ministers will consider what they want the role to achieve, which is set out in a draft terms of reference document. In light of this, high level criteria for the skills and experience required for an individual to do the role are developed. Appropriate due diligence checks are carried out by the department and consideration given to any conflicts of interest with the role and whether/how these can be managed.<\/p>
Direct appointments are not public appointments (which are made by ministers to non-executive roles on the bodies and offices listed in an Order in Council<\/a> and therefore the process and principles of the Governance Code<\/a> do not apply. Neither do these appointments fall under the remit of the independent Commissioner for Public Appointments.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4503", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Philp"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Croydon South"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Philp"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-11-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "172"}
, {"_value" : "173"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-11-15T15:28:17.757Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Home Office: Consultants"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many independent consultants her Department has appointed for the purposes of providing personal briefings for Ministers in the last three years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4006", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hendon"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr Matthew Offord"}
], "uin" : "171"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1461456", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Prime Minister"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1461456/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Ministerial meetings with external organisations will be published in the usual way on gov.uk as part of the government\u2019s transparency agenda. A summary of that meeting is available in the press release.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1423", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Boris Johnson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Uxbridge and South Ruislip"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Boris Johnson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-05-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-05-16T15:13:12.053Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "23"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Prime Minister"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Prime Minister"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2022-05-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Energy Supply"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to Question 149219 and to the Press Release dated 1 April 2022 on the PM roundtable with industry leaders from the wind sector: 31 March 2022, when details of that meeting will be published under the Collection of Cabinet Office: ministers' transparency publications; if he will publish details of all attendees and minutes of that meeting; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3930", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Lucas"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brighton, Pavilion"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Caroline Lucas"}
], "uin" : "171"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1313162", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1313162/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The information is not held in the format requested.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1481", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Nadine Dorries"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mid Bedfordshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Ms Nadine Dorries"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-05-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1313162/answer/previousversion/402", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1481", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Nadine Dorries"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mid Bedfordshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Ms Nadine Dorries"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-05-17T18:55:31.167Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-05-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Autism: Eating Disorders"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many autistic people are receiving treatment for an eating disorder in the most recent period for which figures are available.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1588", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Barbara Keeley"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Worsley and Eccles South"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Barbara Keeley"}
], "uin" : "171"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1168412", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1168412/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " As part of Network Rail\u2019s latest settlement (Control Period 6) Government has committed to continue record levels of investment in rail infrastructure, providing around £48bn of funding across the five-year period spanning from 2019 to 2024. This funding settlement is focussed on maintaining and improving rail infrastructure assets including signals, and includes major programmes of signalling upgrades which will increase resilience. This will help support a more reliable railway for passengers by reducing the instances of failures which affect passengers. This includes Network rail\u2019s recognition within the CP6 delivery plan that digital signalling renewals are a priority. Network Rail have published their Long-Term Deployment Plan for digital signalling as part of the Digital Railway transformation<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3977", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Heaton-Harris"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Daventry"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Heaton-Harris"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-01-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-01-07T16:15:18.443Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-12-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Railway Signals"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the (a) resilience of Network Rail\u2019s signalling infrastructure and (b) the potential for failure of that infrastructure to affect passengers.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4510", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Helen Hayes"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Dulwich and West Norwood"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Helen Hayes"}
], "uin" : "171"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1148777", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1148777/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government has set an ambitious, legally binding target to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from the UK by 2050.<\/p> <\/p> Although there are no plans at present to reduce the VAT charge on electric vehicles, the Government keeps all taxes under review and assesses them against a range of fiscal and environmental considerations. The Government already makes available an incentive for the public to purchase electric vehicles over conventional vehicles: the Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG) provides grants of up to £3,500 for the purchase of a new battery electric vehicle. PiCG was launched in 2011 and has supported the purchase of around 170,000 Ultra Low Emission Vehicles.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3991", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jesse Norman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hereford and South Herefordshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jesse Norman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-10-17T14:12:54.993Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-10-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Electric Vehicles: VAT"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to stimulate demand for commercial electric vehicles by reducing VAT for those vehicles.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4093", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen McPartland"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stevenage"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen McPartland"}
], "uin" : "171"}
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