Transparency data

Cabinet Office Publication of Special Adviser Interests 2022-2023 (HTML)

Published 20 July 2023

Introduction

As with all civil servants, special advisers ensure that no conflict arises, or could be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise.

In line with the current Declaration of Interests policy for special advisers, interests must be declared to their Permanent Secretary in the appointing department for consideration. The personal information which special advisers disclose to the Permanent Secretary is treated in confidence. All special advisers have submitted a completed declaration of interests form, including nil returns in instances where there was no actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest. Where relevant to the role, and to help manage a perception of conflict or to explain how a conflict is being managed, interests will be published on an annual basis in, or alongside, the relevant departmental Annual Report and Accounts. This provides a balance between transparency and privacy.

The declared interests of all those employed in the period 1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023 have been considered for publication, including those who have since left their Department. The Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary has considered these returns and deemed that the following relevant interests should be made public for special advisers working within the Cabinet Office departmental boundary (i.e. Cabinet Office, Number 10 and the offices of the Leaders of the Houses).

Name	Interest
Alastair Gunn (to September 2022)	Mr Gunn is a local councillor for Harlow District Council. Mr Gunn holds an unpaid role as a trustee of the Claire Hunter Charitable Trust.
Alex Hickman (to August 2022)	Mr Hickman holds an unpaid role as Chairman and Director of the African Mountain Research Foundation. Mr Hickman holds an unpaid role as Director of A Future Without Rubbish. He does not play an active role in the affairs of the organisation.
Alex Wild (to October 2022)	Mr Wild is on secondment from CCHQ where he holds a paid role. During his time as a special adviser this role is unpaid.
Alice Robinson (to October 2022)	Ms Robinson’s husband holds a ministerial position in the Cabinet Office [until October 2022].
Amber de Botton	Ms de Botton’s husband is the CEO of The Careers and Enterprise Company. Ms de Botton is recused from involvement in matters that could directly or indirectly benefit The Careers and Enterprise Company.
Andrew Parsons (to October 2022)	Mr Parsons holds a paid role as Company Director at Parsons Media Ltd. Mr Parsons’ work as a special adviser is a part-time contract and the work for this company is performed outside these hours. Mr Parsons may not use Government information for the benefit of his outside role.
Benjamin Barnard (to September 2022)	Mr Barnard holds an unpaid role as a trustee at the Parham Chattels Trust. Mr Barnard is on secondment from Policy Exchange where he holds a paid role. During his time as a special adviser this role is unpaid. Mr Barnard is recused from any involvement in the publication of papers and work for Policy Exchange whilst working in government. Mr Barnard is also recused from involvement in coronavirus policy matters.
Caroline Newton (to September 2022)	Mrs Newton is a local councillor for South Oxfordshire District Council. Mrs Newton holds an unpaid role as Chair of Trustees of the Friends of Townlands Hospital.
David Canzini (to October 2022)	Mr Canzini is recused from involvement in aerospace policy matters and public health policy matters. Mr Canzini is recused from matters relating to clients from previous roles for two years prior to being employed by the Government.
Douglas McNeil	Mr McNeill holds an unpaid role as a trustee of Crown Court Church, Covent Garden.
Eleanor Shawcross	Ms Shawcross’ husband is the CEO of Next PLC. Ms Shawcross’ father is the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the Independent Reviewer of Prevent. Ms Shawcross is recused from discussions relating to taxation, subsidies or regulation of high street retailers, and of retail sectors in which Next PLC operates. Ms Shawcross is recused from involvement in matters relating to public appointments or to Prevent. Ms Shawcross is recused from involvement in nuclear fusion energy policy matters. Ms Shawcross made a donation to the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP’s leadership campaign.
Elena Narozanski	Ms Narozanski holds an unpaid role as a Non-Executive Director at The Football Foundation. The Football Foundation receives funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Fergus Cameron Watt	Mr Cameron Watt is recused from involvement in discussions or matters relating to Bain & Co.
Fred de Fossard (to October 2022)	Mr de Fossard holds a role as Director of de Fossard Communications. During his time as a special adviser this directorship is unpaid.
Guto Harri (to September 2022)	Mr Harri is recused from involvement in broadband and telecommunications policy matters. Mr Harri is recused from matters relating to clients from previous roles for two years prior to being employed by the Government.
Iain Carter (to October 2022)	Mr Carter holds an unpaid role as a trustee at the Conservative Party Archive Trust.
James Lawson (to January 2023)	Mr Lawson holds an unpaid role as a Non-Executive at the Adam Smith Institute. Mr Lawson holds an unpaid role as a Research Adviser at The Entrepreneurs Network.
John Bew	Mr Bew’s father is Chair of the House of Lords Appointment Commission. Mr Bew is on secondment from King’s College London where he is a Professor in History and Foreign Policy.
Katie Harrison (to October 2022)	Ms Harrison is Director of HarrisonKT Limited [this company remained active to receive payments from other work, but Ms Harrison did not seek or undertake any new work for this company in the period in question]. During her time as a special adviser this directorship is unpaid.
Lisa Lovering	Ms Lovering holds a paid role as an Assistant to the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP in his capacity as a private individual. Ms Lovering’s work as a special adviser is a part-time contract and her work as an Assistant to the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP is performed outside these hours.
Lizzy Mahon (to October 2022)	Ms Mahon holds a paid role as Deputy Director at the Conservative Research Department, CCHQ. Her work as a special adviser is a part-time contract and her work for CCHQ is performed outside these hours.
Mark Fullbrook (to October 2022)	Mr Fullbrook holds a role as CEO and Founder of Fullbrook Strategies Limited [this company remained active to receive payments from other work, but Mr Fullbrook did not seek or undertake any work for this company in the period in question]. During his time as a special adviser this directorship is unpaid. Mr Fullbrook has a shareholding in CT Group. Mr Fullbrook is recused from involvement in green energy policy matters. Mr Fullbrook is recused from matters relating to clients from previous roles for two years prior to being employed by the Government.
Mark McInnes (to September 2022)	Lord McInnes’ interests are published on the House of Lords register of interests.
Radomir Tylecote (to October 2022)	Mr Tylecote is a fellow of the Institute of Economic Affairs. Mr Tylecote is recused from any involvement in the publication of papers and work for the Institute whilst working in Government.
Rohan Watt (to October 2022)	Mr Watt holds the Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship which funds his doctorate studies. Any doctorate research is conducted outside of work hours.
Rupert Oldham- Reid	Mr Oldham-Reid holds an unpaid role as a Non-Executive Director at ANA Treatment Centres Ltd. Mr Oldham-Reid holds an unpaid role as Director of Odysseus Advisory Ltd [this company remains active, but did not undertake any activity in the period in question and is in the process of being dissolved].
Ruth Porter (to October 2022)	Ms Porter has a shareholding in FGS Global. Ms Porter is recused from matters relating to FGS Global’s current clients and clients from previous roles for two years prior to being employed by the Government.
Samantha Cohen (to August 2022)	Ms Cohen holds an unpaid role as Deputy Chair at The Queen’s Green Canopy. Ms Cohen holds an unpaid role as a trustee of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust. Ms Cohen’s husband works in fund management at M&G Asset Management.
Sarah Ludlow (to October 2022)	Ms Ludlow holds an unpaid role as a trustee of Cricket Builds Hope.
Simone Finn (to September 2022)	Baroness Finn’s interests are published on the House of Lords register of interests. Baroness Finn has undertaken not to have any involvement in, or association with, the activities of Francis Maude Associates LLP or FMAP Ltd.
Sonia Zvedeniuk (to September 2022)	Ms Zvedeniuk is a local councillor for Chelsea Riverside Ward in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Sophia Falkner	Ms Falkner’s mother is the Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Ms Falkner is recused from involvement in matters relating to the EHRC as a body, and from involvement in meetings concerning the EHRC.
Tom D’Silva	Mr D’Silva holds unpaid role as Director of Avon Strategic Communications. He does not play an active role in the affairs of this organisation.