Decision

Summary of business appointment applications - Sir Mark Lyall Grant

Updated 22 August 2018

Sir Mark Lyall Grant left his position as National Security Adviser in April 2017.

1. Senior Advisor, CTD Advisors Ltd

Sir Mark sought the Committee’s advice about taking up an appointment as Senior Advisor to CTD Advisors Ltd, a company providing business management consulting.

The letter containing the Committee’s consideration and the conditions imposed on the appointment was sent in July 2018 and the appointment was taken up in August 2018.

Baroness Liddell recused herself from this application.

2. Advisory Board, Schillings International LLP

The Committee was asked to consider an application for advice from Sir Mark Lyall Grant to take up a position as a member of the newly created Advisory Board of the law firm Schillings International LLP (Schillings). The Advisory Board will advise the partnership on its future direction and strategy and will meet about twice a year.

The Director General, Propriety and Ethics at the Cabinet Office advised that she has no concerns about this appointment.

The Committee’s view is that this appointment cannot reasonably be seen as a reward as it is unpaid and Sir Mark had no dealings with Schillings International while in office and was not involved in any policy decisions that may have affected Schillings International or in awarding any contracts or grants to the company.

Given the nature of the appointment and the fact that the appointment is not likely to include any contact or dealings with Government, there is nothing to suggest that Schillings International would stand to gain an unfair advantage by employing Sir Mark.

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 he should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of himself or the organisation to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to him from his time in Crown service.
• For two years from his last day in Crown service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of Schillings International LLP, Schillings International (USA) LLP or their clients or make use, directly or indirectly, of his contacts in Government and/or Crown service to influence policy or secure business on their behalf.

The letter containing the Committee’s advice was sent in October 2017 and Sir Mark took up the appointment in November 2017.

3. Equilibrium Global

The Committee was asked to consider an application from Sir Mark on taking up a position as a member of the Strategic Advisory Team (SAT) at Equilibrium Global (EqG), a geostrategic advisory company, “designed to help governments meet the challenges of the modern world.”

Sir Mark explained to the Committee that the SAT is a group of experienced people who have agreed to make themselves available to EqG as a source of advice and potential inclusion in a relevant group that could be put together to advise a government or commercial entity. There is no remuneration attached to being a member of the SAT. He has said that the appointment is not likely to include any contact or dealings with Government.

The Director General, Propriety and Ethics at the Cabinet Office advised that she has no concerns about this appointment.

The Committee’s view is that this appointment is unlikely be seen as a reward as it is unpaid and Sir Mark had no dealings with EqG while in office and was not involved in any policy decisions that may have affected EqG or in awarding any contracts or grants.

There is nothing to suggest that EqG would gain an unfair advantage by employing Sir Mark, and he has said that the appointment is not likely to include any contact or dealings with Government. The extended lobbying ban that the Committee has recommended is clear that he may not make use of his contacts, whether directly or indirectly, to influence policy or secure business.

The Committee noted that the 3-month standard waiting period that applies to Permanent Secretaries and their equivalents had expired.

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 he should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of himself or the organisation to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to him from his time in Crown service; and
• For two years from his last day in Crown service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of Equilibrium Global or its clients or make use, directly or indirectly, of his contacts in Government and/or Crown service to influence policy or secure business on their behalf.

The letter containing the Committee’s advice was sent in August 2017 and the appointment was subsequently taken up.

4. Jeremy Lee Associates Ltd

Sir Mark sought the Committee’s advice on registering with the speakers’ bureau Jeremy Lee Associates Ltd (JLA).

When considering this application the Committee noted that the 3-month standard waiting period for permanent secretaries had expired. It also took into account that the Director General, Propriety and Ethics at the Cabinet Office advised that she has no concerns about this proposal.

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 he should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of himself or the organisation to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to him from his time in Crown service; and
• for two years from his last day in Crown service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of JLA or its clients.

The letter containing the Committee’s advice was sent in August 2017.