Decision

Advice letter: Jenny Harries, Honorary Professor in the School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham

Published 17 September 2025

1. BUSINESS APPOINTMENT APPLICATION: Jenny Harries, former Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency at the Department of Health and Social Care. Unpaid appointment with the University of Nottingham.

Dame Jenny 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 an unpaid role she wishes to take up with the University of Nottingham (the University) as an Honorary Professor in the School of Pharmacy.

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 taken during Dame Jenny’s time in office, alongside the information and influence she may offer the University. 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^{[footnote 1]} set out that Crown servants must abide by the Committee’s advice. 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

When considering this application, the Committee^{[footnote 2]} took into account that this appointment is unpaid^{[footnote 3]}. Generally, the Committee’s experience is that the risks related to unpaid roles are limited. The purpose of the Rules is to protect the integrity of the government by considering the real and perceived risks associated with former Crown servants joining outside organisations. Those risks include using privileged access to contacts and information to the benefit of themselves or those they represent. The Rules also seek to mitigate the risks that individuals may make decisions, or take action in office, in expectation of rewards on leaving government. These risks are significantly limited in unpaid cases due to the lack of financial gain to the individual. 

There is no direct overlap between Dame Jenny’s former role in office and her proposed role with the University of Nottingham as an Honorary Professor. There remain inherent risks associated with any former Crown servant’s access to information, network of contacts and influence in government. In this unpaid role, these risks are limited.

Under the government’s Rules, as the former Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Dame Jenny is subject to a minimum waiting period of three months between leaving paid Crown service and taking up an outside role.

3. The Committee’s advice

The Committee did not consider this unpaid appointment to raise any particular concerns under the government’s Business Appointment Rules. The standard conditions below sufficiently mitigate the inherent risks. These seek to prevent Dame Jenny from making improper use of privileged information, contacts and influence to the unfair advantage of the organisation.

In accordance with the government’s Business Appointment Rules, the Committee advises that this appointment with the University of Nottingham be subject to the following conditions:

• a waiting period of three months from her last day in Crown service;

• Dame Jenny should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of herself or the persons or organisations to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to her from her time in Crown service;

• for two years from her last day in Crown service, she should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK government or its arm’s length bodies on behalf of the University of Nottingham (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients); nor should she make use, directly or indirectly, of her contacts in the government and/or Crown service to influence policy, secure business/funding or otherwise unfairly advantage the University of Nottingham (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients); and

• for two years from her last day in Crown service, she should not undertake any work with the University of Nottingham (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients) that involves providing advice 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 her 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 ‘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.’

Dame Jenny must inform us as soon as she takes up this role, or if it is announced that she will do so, and we will publish this letter on our website. She must also inform us if she proposes to extend or otherwise change the nature of her role as, depending on the circumstances, it may be necessary for her to make a fresh application.

4. Annex – Material Information

4.1 The role

The University of Nottingham (the University) is a public research and teaching university.

Dame Jenny wishes to take up a part-time, unpaid role as an Honorary Professor in the School of Pharmacy. She told the Committee that key responsibilities of her role will likely include:

• collaboration and input, either as an investigator or advisor, in the creation and/or execution of new research. This research will primarily focus on public health policy and practice within pharmacies and by pharmacists, but may also encompass broader public health contributions and topics;
• occasional teaching, usually as an invited speaker, to undergraduate and/or postgraduates, particularly in courses such as Master of Public Health; and
• contributing to broader debate and discussion on the evidence base for specific interventions, policy changes, and health issues, both informally and formally, as well as exploring how integrated health and social care services and systems can improve health results.

Dame Jenny stated that the role would not involve any contact with government. 

4.2 Dealings in office 

Dame Jenny noted that during her time as the Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), she held a similar role as an Honorary Professor with Chester University.

Dame Jenny said that she did not make any policy, regulatory or commercial decisions specific to the University, and that she did not have any access to information that could grant the University an unfair advantage. She also noted that there was no relationship between the University and DHSC.

4.3 Departmental assessment 

DHSC confirmed that Dame Jenny holds a similar role as Honorary Professor with Chester University, which she held whilst carrying out her duties as the Chief Executive of UKHSA.

DHSC and the Cabinet Office confirmed Dame Jenny’s account of her level of involvement in policy, regulatory or commercial decisions specific to the University during her time in office.

DHSC and the Cabinet Office confirmed that she did not have access to information that could grant the University an unfair advantage.

DHSC and the Cabinet Office also confirmed that there was no relationship between the departments and the University.

DHSC and the Cabinet Office recommended conditions be limited to a reminder of the applicant’s ongoing duty of confidentiality.

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. This application for advice was considered by Isabel Doverty; Hedley Finn OBE; Michael Prescott; and The Baroness Thornton. Sarah de Gay and Dawid Konotey-Ahulu CBE DL were unavailable. ↩

3. By unpaid the Committee means that no remuneration of any kind is received for the role. Applicants must declare where it is agreed or anticipated they may receive remuneration or some other compensation at some stage in the future. ↩

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. ↩