Decision

Advice Letter: Steven Boyd, Consultant, Public Finances Directorate General, Government of France

Published 27 August 2025

1. BUSINESS APPOINTMENT APPLICATION: Mr Steven Peter Walter Boyd MBE, former Chief Executive at the Government Property Agency. Paid appointment with the Public Finances Directorate General, Ministry of Economics, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, Government of France.

Mr Boyd sought advice from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (the Committee) under the government’s Business Appointment Rules for former Crown Servants (the Rules) on taking up a role with the Public Finances Directorate General, Ministry of Economics, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, Government of France (DGFiP) as a Consultant.

The purpose of the Rules is to protect the integrity of the government. The Committee has considered the risks associated with the actions and decisions made during Mr Boyd’s time in office, alongside the information and influence he may offer DGFiP. The material information taken into consideration by the Committee is set out in the annex.

The Committee’s advice is not an endorsement of the appointment - it imposes a number of conditions to mitigate the potential risks to the government associated with the appointment under the Rules.

The Rules set out that Crown servants must abide by the Committee’s advice^{[footnote 1]}. It is an applicant’s personal responsibility to manage the propriety of any appointment. Former Crown servants are expected to uphold the highest standards of propriety and act in accordance with the 7 Principles of Public Life.

2. The Committee’s consideration of the risks presented

Mr Boyd’s only official dealings with the French Government in office was meeting with government property professionals, alongside other foreign governments through The Workplace Network^{[footnote 2]} with a view to sharing best practice in this space. Mr Boyd made no decisions specific to the French Government or DGFiP in office The Committee^{[footnote 3]} considered the risk this role could reasonably be perceived as a reward for decisions or actions in office is low.

Mr Boyd will be advising DGFiP in government property management, estate rationalisation & estate efficiency. The Committee noted the departments’ view that he does not possess access to information that would be of particular advantage to DGFiP. In particular there is no direct overlap with his responsibilities for the UK government’s property portfolio and the French Government’s, other than as they both relate to the property sector and related fields. Mr Boyd has many years of experience in the built environment, infrastructure and property.

There are inherent risks associated with any senior Crown servant leaving office and joining an external organisation. The risk of his making use of his access to the UK government in this role is limited, given it is an internal role advising the French Government.

3. The committee’s advice

The Committee noted the mitigating factors above that help to reduce the risks associated with Mr Boyd’s access to information and contacts. The standard conditions below prevent him from making improper use of privileged access to information, contacts and influence gained in office, which are set out below. The Committee noted these conditions are entirely in keeping with his role as described.

The Committee advises, under the government’s Business Appointment Rules, that Mr Boyd’s role with the Public Finances Directorate General should be subject to the following conditions:

• he should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of himself or the persons or organisations 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 or any of its arm’s length bodies on behalf of the Public Finances Directorate General (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients); nor should he make use, directly or indirectly, of his contacts in the government and/or Crown service contacts to influence policy, secure business/funding or otherwise unfairly advantage the Public Finances Directorate General (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients); and

• for two years from his last day in Crown service, he should not provide advice to the Public Finances Directorate General (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients) on the terms of, or with regard to the subject matter of, a bid with, or contract relating directly to the work of the UK government or its arm’s length bodies.

The advice and the conditions under the government’s Business Appointment Rules relate to an applicant’s previous role in government only; they are separate from rules administered by other bodies such as the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and the Registrar of Lords’ Interests^{[footnote 4]}. It is an applicant’s personal responsibility to understand any other rules and regulations they may be subject to in parallel with this Committee’s advice.

By ‘privileged information’ we mean official information to which a minister or Crown servant has had access as a consequence of his or her office or employment and which has not been made publicly available. Applicants are also reminded that they may be subject to other duties of confidentiality, whether under the Official Secrets Act, the Ministerial Code/Civil Service Code or otherwise.

The Business Appointment Rules explain that the restriction on lobbying means that the former Crown servant/Minister “should not engage in communication with Government (Ministers, civil servants, including special advisers, and other relevant officials/public office holders) – wherever it takes place - with a view to influencing a Government decision, policy or contract award/grant in relation to their own interests or the interests of the organisation by which they are employed, or to whom they are contracted or with which they hold office.”

Mr Boyd must inform us as soon as he takes up this work or if it is announced that he will do so. Similarly, he must inform us if he proposes to extend or otherwise change his role with the organisation as depending on the circumstances, it might be necessary for him to seek fresh advice.

Once this appointment has been publicly announced or taken up, we will publish this letter on the Committee’s website.

4. Annex - material information

4.1 The role

According to its website, DGFiP was created in April 2008, following the merger of the General Tax Directorate and the Public Accounting General Directorate. The DGFiP reports to the Minister for Finance and Public Accounts. Its civil service staff is primarily responsible for tax administration and public finance management. Its core activities include taxation, tax legislation and public accountancy.

In his paid, part-time role as Consultant, Mr Boyd stated his responsibilities involve advising on the implementation of a government-owned Real Estate Company to deliver estate rationalisation and efficiency and to create value from public property, including advice on:

• Success criteria and risks
• Options for value creation
• Pace of Implementation
• Change management

Mr Boyd confirmed his role does not involve contact with the UK government.

Mr Boyd stated he was approached by the French State Real Estate Directorate within the General Directorate of Public Finances about this role.

Mr Boyd stated that he has worked in built environment, property and infrastructure for his whole career. Prior to his role as Chief Executive at the GPA, he was HMRC’s Estates Director delivering 13 major office buildings,planning the successful drawdown of a nationwide PFI^{[footnote 5]}, and shrinking the size of the estate by two thirds. He also served in the British Army including leading its in-house engineering design and project management consultancy,and as its Director of Infrastructure ^{[footnote 6]}.

4.2 Dealings in office

Mr Boyd informed the Committee that he met French central government representatives informally at a conference reception - with government property organisations from several countries (via The Workplace Network). Through The Workplace Network he interacted in person and virtually with central government property professionals from several nations.

4.3 Departmental Assessment

The GPA and Cabinet Office confirmed the details Mr Boyd provided and confirmed that:

a. he was not involved in decisions specific to DGFiP;

b. the nature of Mr Boyd’s contact with French and other nations’ central government officials in line with above - in the context of a wider group of central government property professionals from several countries, with a view to sharing best practice in this space.

c. the departments do not hold concerns relating to his access to sensitive information specific to DGFiP.

The FCDO, GPA and Cabinet Office confirmed they do not have concerns relating to the appointment.

The GPA and Cabinet Office recommended the standard conditions.

1. Which apply by virtue of the Civil Service Management Code, The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, The King’s Regulations and the Diplomatic Service Code ↩

2. The Workplace Network (TWN) provides a platform for senior executives in the worldwide public sector real estate to spur creative thinking, connect, and discuss. ↩

3. This application for advice was considered by Andrew Cumpsty; Sarah de Gay; Dawid Konotey-Ahulu CBE DL; The Baroness Jones of Whitchurch; The Rt Hon Lord Eric Pickles; Michael Prescott; and Mike Weir. Isabel Doverty & Hedley Finn OBE were unavailable. ↩

4. All Peers and Members of Parliament are prevented from paid lobbying under the House of Commons Code of Conduct and the Code of Conduct for Members of the House of Lords. Advice on obligations under the Code can be sought from the Parliamentary Commissioners for Standards, in the case of MPs, or the Registrar of Lords’ Interests, in the case of peers. ↩

5. Private Finance Initiatives - which allow governments and the private sector to join forces to finance and implement projects that benefit the public sector. ↩

6. https://www.gov.uk/government/people/steven-boyd ↩