Summary of business appointments application - David Prout
Published 26 September 2017
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David Prout left his position as Director General of HS2, at the Department for Transport (DfT), in July 2017.
1. Pro Vice Chancellor, the University of Oxford
Mr Prout sought advice under the Business Appointment Rules about taking up a full-time appointment as Pro Vice Chancellor at the University of Oxford.
The Committee took into account that Mr Prout, and his former department, confirmed he had no official dealings with the University of Oxford or their competitors in the higher education sector during his time in Crown service and although DfT may sponsor some research being undertaken at Oxford University, Mr Prout would not have been directly involved.
The Committee also took into account that his new role is unrelated to his time in office, but may involve contact with the Department for Education.
The Committee also considered DfT’s views, who raised no concerns with the Committee about Mr Prout taking up this role.
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:
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that he should not draw on any privileged information available to him from his time in Crown service; and
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for two years from his last day in service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of the University of Oxford.
The letter containing the Committee’s advice was sent in June 2017 and the appointment was taken up in September 2017.