Decision

Summary of business appointments applications - Catherine Brown

Updated 4 July 2018

Catherine Brown, former Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), left the Civil Service in October 2017.

Ms Brown sought advice under the Business Appointment Rules about taking up appointments with: the Wellcome Trust, Airport Coordination Ltd and Hubbub UK.

1. The Wellcome Trust

Ms Brown sought advice on becoming a member of the Advisory Board on Diversity and Inclusion at The Wellcome Trust (Wellcome), a global charitable foundation that funds science and research to improve public health.

Ms Brown explained this is a paid role, involving 10 days per year. She said that while it is possible that Wellcome could work with those Government departments with a shared interest in science education or diversity, it is unlikely that she would have personal involvement in meetings with the departments.

2. Hubbub UK

Hubbub UK (Hubbub) is a charity that exists to engage a mainstream audience in environmental issues and encourage behaviour change that benefits the environment.

As a Trustee of the charity Ms Brown said she would be responsible, alongside other trustees, for its governance. She would also contribute to strategy development and monitoring performance. This is an unpaid position. She confirmed it is unlikely to involve contact with Government.

3. Airport Coordination Ltd

ACL is the co-ordinator for 39 airports, co-ordinating 3.8m flights per year. Ms Brown has been offered the role of Board Member and member of the Remuneration Committee of Airport Coordination Ltd (ACL), having applied for the position in an open recruitment process.

The appointment is paid and will involve 10 days per year.

Ms Brown has confirmed that the role will not involve contact with her old department, as there will be no overlap with food. She explained to the Committee that ACL has a relationship with the Department for Transport and will contribute to the consultation on their air transport strategy for the UK. As a Board Member, Ms Brown notes she will be involved in discussions about how ACL should seek to contribute to that and other consultation processes.

4. The Committee’s consideration

The Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency confirmed the information provided by Ms Brown and has no reservations about any of these appointments.

When considering the appointments the Committee noted that there is a crossover in subject matter between the work of the Food Standards Agency and the roles with Wellcome and Hubbub - in relation to the impact of the food system on the environment and public health. The Committee did not consider this to present any particular propriety concerns given Ms Brown had no official contact with any of the organisations while in office (although she attended some events at which Hubbub and Wellcome personnel may have been present); nor was she involved in any policy decisions or in the award of grants or regulatory work affecting these employers. For these reasons, the Committee considered it could not reasonably be perceived that these appointments are a reward for decisions made while in office.

As Ms Brown and her department have confirmed she had no access to information whilst in office that would offer an unfair advantage to these employers, the risk here is low. However, the Committee considered that the extended lobbying ban set out below will help to mitigate the potential for any concern that these organisations could gain an unfair advantage by virtue of Ms Brown’s contacts in Government.

The Prime Minister accepted the Committee’s advice that, in accordance with the Government’s Business Appointment Rules, these appointments be subject to the following conditions:

• Ms Brown should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of herself or the organisations to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to her from her time in Crown Service; and
• for two years from her last day in service, she should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of The Wellcome Trust; Hubbub UK and Airport Coordination Ltd, or make use, directly or indirectly, of her contacts in Government and/or Crown service to influence policy or secure funding on their behalf.

The letter containing the Committee’s advice was sent in October 2017 and the appointments were taken up in November 2017.

5. Chair of the Advisory Board at Peas Please

Ms Brown sought the Committee’s advice on an unpaid appointment as the Chair of the Advisory Board at Peas Please, a campaign set up by The Food Foundation.

The Committee noted that this is an unpaid role; that the FSA confirmed it has no relationship with the organisation; and that Ms Brown had no official dealings with it whilst she was in office. The Committee also noted there is an indirect link with Ms Sandys, Founder and Trustee of the Food Foundation, as she was appointed Deputy Chair of the FSA. However, the FSA confirmed Ms Brown had no involvement in this appointment.

The Committee took into account that the aim of Peas Please is improvement in public health and is therefore aligned to government policy. As such, it considered it would not be improper for Ms Brown to have contact with government officials, in the way she describes, in her role as Chair. The Committee considered that given the nature of Peas Please, the risk of unfair advantage was not a particular concern, though it noted the FSA’s confirmation she had no access to any relevant sensitive information.

The Prime Minister accepted the Committee’s advice that, in accordance with the Government’s Business Appointment Rules, this appointment be subject to the following conditions:

• that she should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of herself or the organisations to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to her from her time in Crown service; and
• for two years from her last day in Crown service, she should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of Peas Please or the Food Foundation, or its partners. This does not preclude routine contact on matters aligned with Government policy relating to this role with Peas Please. However, it would prevent Ms Brown from making use, directly or indirectly, of her contacts in Government to influence policy or secure funding on behalf of Peas Please or the Food Foundation, or its partners.

The letter containing the Committee’s advice was sent in March 2018 and the appointment was taken up in April 2018.