Department for Education written question – answered at on 22 April 2022.
Matt Western
Shadow Minister (Education)
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the appointment of Rachel Houchen as a non-executive director of the Office for Students (OfS), if will make an assessment of the political impartiality of the OfS.
Michelle Donelan
Minister of State (Department for Education) (Higher and Further Education)
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, appoints non-executive directors to the Board of the Office for Students in accordance with Schedule 1 of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 and the Governance Code for Public Appointments, which can be found here: https://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/regulating-appointments/governance-code/.
Rachel Houchen is not a member of any political party but, in any event, under section 9.2 of the Governance Code, political activity is not a bar to an appointment on the board of an arms-length body.
Rachel Houchen was appointed following a fair and open competition, in line with the Governance Code for Public Appointments.
Yes1 person thinks so
No1 person thinks not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
