Committee publication · Correspondence · 12 February 2025 · HC 554

Letter from the Minister for Rail, Department for Transport relating to oral evidence session on 22 January 2025, dated 6 February 2025

Summary

The Minister for Rail explains why the Department for Transport cannot yet recruit senior staff for Great British Railways (GBR). He sets out the established parliamentary convention that appointments to new public bodies must wait until legislation receives Royal Assent, though shadow teams may be formed after Second Reading with Treasury approval. Laura Shoaf's appointment as Shadow GBR Chair is unpaid and departmental; the permanent GBR Chair role will be recruited through open competition.

Key findings

Parliamentary convention requires appointments to new public bodies to await Royal Assent; shadow arrangements may only proceed after Second Reading with HM Treasury approval
Laura Shoaf appointed as unpaid Shadow GBR Chair to the department, not to the new body itself
The permanent GBR Chair position will be recruited through a wide and open search process managed alongside Bill passage
Department for Transport will assess required skills and capabilities for GBR leadership in parallel with legislative progress to ensure 'effective leadership from day one'

Tone

Procedural

Topics

public-sector-appointmentsrail-transportparliamentary-processcivil-service

Key actors

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Minister for Rail), Ruth Cadbury MP (Transport Select Committee), Laura Shoaf (Shadow GBR Chair), Department for Transport, HM Treasury

Notable line

“… appointments to new public sector bodies being set up under legislation should wait until the legislation has received Royal Assent.”

Key Quotes

“As is the established convention agreed with Parliament, appointments to new public sector bodies being set up under legislation should wait until the legislation has received Royal Assent.”
— Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill · explaining the parliamentary convention for public body appointments

“Although 'shadow' teams or arrangements may be established to prepare for the creation of new public sector bodies, appointments may only be made in exceptional circumstances, and with the approval of HM Treasury …”
— Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill · clarifying when shadow arrangements can proceed

“… the appointment of Laura Shoaf as Shadow GBR Chair is an unpaid appointment to the department, and the position of GBR Chair will be recruited for separately in a wide and open search process.”
— Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill · distinguishing the shadow role from the permanent chair recruitment

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗