Correspondence to the Cabinet Office regarding breach of the Rules
Updated 7 September 2022
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The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Cabinet Office
I am writing to you in my capacity as Chair of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (the Committee) to bring to your attention a breach of the Government’s Business Appointment Rules (the Rules). This is outlined in the correspondence sent to Dominic Cummings, copied below.
The Rules are set by the Government, with the policy owned by the Cabinet Office. The Committee is independent, with a remit to consider applications received under those Rules, consider the risks and advise on the conditions that should apply.
I understand that Mr Cummings has made an application via the Cabinet Office to the Committee for consideration. However, in the meantime it appears that Mr Cummings is offering various services for payment via a blog hosted on Substack, the blog for which he is also receiving subscription payments. Mr Cummings has failed to seek the Committee’s advice on this commercial undertaking, nor has the Committee received the courtesy of a reply to our letter requesting an explanation. Failure to seek and await advice before taking up work is a breach of the government’s Rules.
The Committee will not advise retrospectively in these circumstances. It is our policy to act transparently, including making public any failure to follow the Rules that it is made aware of. It is now a matter for the government to decide what appropriate action to take.
The Rt Hon Lord Pickles
Copied to: Darren Tierney, Director of Propriety and Ethics, Cabinet Office and Chloe Smith MP, Minister of State for the Constitution and Devolution.