Summary of business appointments applications - Sir Vince Cable
Updated 19 July 2017
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Rt Hon Sir Vince Cable left his role as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in May 2015.
1. Non-executive director, White Capstan Limited
Sir Vince sought the Committee’s advice on taking up a new role as non-executive director of White Capstan Limited.
The Committee noted that he had declined a salary and requested that the company make a donation to charities, in lieu.
When considering the application the Committee took into account that the role will not require any engagement with the UK government. It also took into account that Sir Vince will have met a wide range of automotive original equipment manufacturers and supplier companies, both through the Auto Council and individually. However, given that 16 months have passed since he was Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), any information that he will have been party to is likely to be out of date.
The Committee sought the opinion of BIS’s successor department, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy, which did not have any concerns regarding the propriety of this appointment.
Taking into account these factors, in accordance with the Government’s Business Appointment Rules, the Committee advised Sir Vince that the appointment be subject to the following conditions:
- That he should not draw on any privileged information available to him as a Minister; and
- For two years from his last day in ministerial office, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of White Capstan Limited or the companies it owns.
The Committee wrote its advice letter to Sir Vince in October 2016 and he took up the role later that month.
2. London School of Economics (LSE), Richmond Adult Community College (RACC), DBA Speakers, and Health-Connected
Sir Vince sought the Committee’s advice on taking up new roles as: Professor in Practice at LSE, Governor of RACC, panel member of DBA Speakers, and board member of Health-Connected.
When considering these applications the Committee noted that Sir Vince had no official dealings with DBA Speakers or Health-Connected in his ministerial role, and that any contact with LSE and RACC was through his broad oversight of higher and further education and, in the case of RACC, links to his former constituency as an MP. They further noted that those two appointments were unpaid.
The Committee also took into account the views of Sir Vince’s former department, BIS, which raised no concerns about any of the roles.
The Committee advised Sir Vince that it could see no reason why he should not take up these appointments, subject to the following conditions:
- He should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of himself or the organisations or persons to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to him as a Minister; and
- For two years from his last day in ministerial office he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of LSE, Health-Connected, DBA Speakers or Richmond Adult Community College, or any of their partners, subsidiaries or clients.
The Committee wrote its advice letter to Sir Vince in January 2016.
3. Non-Executive Chair of HCT Group
Sir Vince sought the Committee’s advice about accepting a part-time, unpaid role as non-executive Chair of HCT Group. HCT Group is a social enterprise bus operator providing a range of transport-related services.
The Committee sought the opinion of Sir Vince’s former department which had no concerns about the propriety of this appointment. The Committee noted their view that any contact between HCT and Government would likely be with the Department for Transport and noted the lobbying restriction which applies to former Ministers.
The Committee’s advice was that, under the Government’s Business Appointment Rules, the appointment be subject to the following conditions:
- he should not draw on any privileged information available to him as a Minister; and
- for two years from his last day in ministerial office, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of HCT Group.
The Committee wrote its advice letter to Sir Vince in October 2016.