Committee publication · Correspondence · 9 June 2026
Letter from Susannah Storey CB, Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, regarding public appointments processes, 2 June 2026
From: Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Inquiry: The work of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Summary
Permanent Secretary Susannah Storey updates the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on departmental reforms to public appointments processes following internal and external reviews. Dame Bernadette Kelly's independent review (completed March 2026) found processes broadly robust but identified gaps in accountability, succession planning, campaign timeliness, and candidate diversity. DCMS has accepted recommendations and implemented reforms including refreshed guidance, strengthened due diligence, enhanced oversight, and improved regional outreach.
Key findings
- External review by Dame Bernadette Kelly identified DCMS public appointments processes as broadly robust with good practice examples, but flagged need for clearer accountability and stronger succession planning
- Key improvement areas: timeliness of campaigns, diversity and quality of candidate pools, and consistency across appointment processes
- DCMS has launched refreshed processes and tools (May 2026) including updated guidance, strengthened due diligence, and conflict of interest procedures
- Department implementing enhanced senior oversight of performance and risks, longer-term vacancy pipeline planning, and regional outreach to improve candidate diversity
- DCMS committed to alignment with Cabinet Office and Commissioner for Public Appointments on cross-government standards
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Susannah Storey CB, Dame Bernadette Kelly, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Cabinet Office, Commissioner for Public Appointments, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Notable line
“Public appointments are a critical responsibility for the Department, and we are committed to ensuring our processes are robust, transparent, and effective in securing high-quality and diverse candidates.”
Key Quotes
“Dame Bernadette completed her review in March 2026. She found that DCMS has broadly robust processes, supported by an experienced central Public Appointments Team and a number of examples of good practice.”
“The review also identified areas for improvement, including the need for clearer accountability, stronger forward and succession planning, improved timeliness of campaigns, and continued progress in attracting diverse and high-quality candidates.”
“We have already made significant progress and are now implementing a set of reforms across all appointments. These include a refreshed suite of processes and tools which were launched in May, with updated guidance, strengthened due diligence and conflicts of interest processes.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗