Summary of business appointment applications - Sir Andrew Gregory
Published 5 September 2016
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Lt Gen Sir Andrew Gregory left the Ministry of Defence in August 2016.
1. Controller/ Chief Executive of SSAFA
Sir Andrew Gregory asked for the Committee’s advice about an appointment with SSAFA, the national Armed Forces charity, which was submitted after his appointment had been publicly announced.
The Committee wrote to the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence 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:
- This is a full-time, paid role, which Sir Andrew was offered following an open application process.
- The appointment will include contact with Government, as Sir Andrew will be required to liaise with Ministers and officials in MOD, the Cabinet Office and other Whitehall departments to deliver the intent behind Government’s Armed Forces Covenant.
- SSAFA delivers contracted healthcare and social services to parts of the MOD but Sir Andrew had no contractual dealings with SSAFA while in post. He had monthly discussions with the previous Controller, as he did with the Chief Executives of other major military charities, in order to improve the support to the Armed Forces Community.
- The MOD would expect Sir Andrew to refrain from becoming directly involved in contractual negotiations with the MOD on behalf of his new employer.
The Committee also drew Sir Andrew’s attention to the normal restrictions it imposes prohibiting lobbying and the misuse of privileged information obtained while in public office.
The letter containing the Committee’s views was sent in August 2016.
The Permanent Secretary at the MOD replied to the Committee’s letter. He said that he shared the Committee’s frustration that Sir Andrew’s appointment was publicly announced before the Committee had been given time to consider it. The Department was not aware of the announcement when it forwarded Sir Andrew’s application to the Committee. MOD policy is clear that applicants should not announce or take up appointments covered by the Business Appointments Rules until the approval process has been completed.