Summary of business appointments applications - Rachel Sandby-Thomas
Published 24 August 2016
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sandby-thomas-rachel-former-shadow-ceo-institute-for-apprenticeships-department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy/summary-of-business-appointments-applications-rachel-sandby-thomas
Ms Sandby-Thomas left the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in August 2016.
1. Registrar, Warwick University
Ms Rachel Sandby-Thomas asked for the Committee’s advice about an appointment with Warwick University that had already been publicly announced. The Committee wrote to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy registering its concern about the timing of the application. The Committee noted that the Business Appointment Rules specify that retrospective applications will not normally be accepted. 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 announced and/or taken up. Therefore, the Committee was unwilling to give retrospective approval for the appointment.
However the Committee formally recorded that:
- As Registrar, Ms Sandby-Thomas will be responsible for running the non-academic side of the University. She will be head of the professional and administrative services and have responsibility for strategy.
- She has had no significant prior contact with the University.
- The Department had no reservations about the appointment.
- She was appointed following an application process.
- Ms Sandby-Thomas has advised the Committee that Warwick University is a member of The Russell Group of universities and through The Russell Group is in contact with Government on matters affecting higher education. The Committee would expect Ms Sandby-Thomas to adhere to the usual condition it recommends in business appointment cases, precluding the lobbying of Government.
The Committee also drew Ms Sandby-Thomas’ attention to the normal restriction it imposes prohibiting the misuse of privileged information obtained while in public office.
The letter containing the Committee’s views was sent in August 2016.