Decision

Summary of business appointments applications - Lord Foster of Bath

Published 8 March 2016

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Lord Foster of Bath left his role as Deputy Chief Whip in May 2015.

1. Associate, Global Partners Governance

Lord Foster sought retrospective advice about an appointment he had taken up with Global Partners Governance (GPG). The Committee wrote to Lord Foster registering its concern that his application was submitted some time after he had accepted and taken up the role, and that the business appointment rules specify that retrospective applications are not normally accepted. The Committee noted that Lord Foster had apologised unreservedly for the oversight on his part, however, to fulfil the remit given to it by Government the Committee needs to be able to consider an application fully and freely before offering its advice. This is impossible to do in a way that will command public confidence if an appointment has already been taken up. Therefore, the Committee was unwilling to give retrospective approval for the appointment.

The Committee formally recorded that:

  • Lord Foster had informed the Committee that his role is as an Associate with GPG, and involves working on an ad hoc basis with their Iraq Team;
  • He informed the Committee that he had no contact with GPG, any of its competitors, or the sector in which it operates during his last two years in ministerial office;
  • He assured the Committee that his role does not involve any lobbying of Government; and
  • The Committee had been informed that Lord Foster’s former department has no commercial relationship with GPG.

The Committee also drew Lord Foster’s attention to the normal restriction imposed prohibiting the misuse of privileged information obtained while in public office.

The Committee wrote its letter to Lord Foster in February 2016.

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