Business Appointment Rules
What to do when you are leaving, or have left, Crown service or ministerial office, and you're starting another role.
Ministers and Crown servants at all levels, including all civil servants, diplomats and special advisers are subject to the Business Appointment Rules when accepting new appointments after Crown service. Applications from other senior Crown servants, for example members of the military, should contact their department for further information who can provide further advice on the process to follow. Depending on an individual’s seniority, these Rules apply for either one or two years after leaving their role.
The aims of the Rules are to avoid:
- suspicion that an appointment might be a reward for past favours
- the risk that an employer might gain an improper advantage by appointing a former civil servant or minister who holds sensitive information about its competitors, or about impending government policy
- the risk of a former civil servant or minister improperly exploiting privileged access to contacts in government
- unfair questioning or criticism of the integrity of former ministers or civil servants
The page provides links to the Rules, guidance, and publications on decisions taken on applications from senior Crown servants and ministers.
Business Appointment Rules advice provided by the Civil Service Commission
The Civil Service Commission provides advice under the government’s Business Appointment Rules for Crown servants to former civil servants at grade SCS3 and equivalent and above (including special advisers and those in the Diplomatic Service). The advice is published on the Civil Service Commission’s website at the link below.
Guidance and Application Process for the Business Appointment Rules
Business Appointment Rules advice provided by the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards
The Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards provides advice to former ministers on roles they wish to accept following their ministerial tenures. The advice is published on the Independent Adviser’s page on GOV.UK at the link below.
Business Appointment Rules decisions by department
Departments publish their decisions, and any restrictions imposed, on Business Appointment Rules applications from senior civil servants and special advisers at the SCS1 and 2 grades (and equivalents) in quarterly transparency publications.
The information available via these links is not owned by the Cabinet Office - it is owned and published by the relevant department, in accordance with the requirements of UK GDPR and the Privacy Notice for Government Transparency Data.
Business Appointment Rules decisions by closed organisations
The following departments have closed or had their functions and responsibilities moved into other departments. Their returns have been included below for convenience.
Business Appointment Rules advice provided by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments
The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) previously considered applications under the government’s Business Appointment Rules for former ministers and the most senior Crown servants. ACOBA published its independent advice to departments and ministers when appointments were taken up on GOV.UK between 2010 to 2025. The Committee’s functions were transferred to the Civil Service Commission and the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards on 13 October 2025. The advice previously provided by the Committee between 2010 and 2025 is available on the ACOBA pages of GOV.UK at the link below. Advice provided before 2010 may be held by the National Archives.
Updates to this page
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Updated the list or departments
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Added some additional context for those have left the MOD or Armed Forces
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Addition of link to DBT business appointment rules advice in 'Business appointment rules decisions by department' section.
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First published.