Pre-appointment hearings

Departmental Select Committees first acquired the additional function of holding pre-appointment hearings for certain key posts almost 18 months ago. The development did not attract much attention at the time or subsequently, although some observers had misgivings that it was the thin end of the wedge which could lead to wholesale politicisation of public appointments. But the list of posts subject to pre-appointment hearings was fairly limited; the government reserved the right not to be bound by Committees' views; and for some time all the hearings went off quietly.

The Children, Schools and Families Committee has changed all that with its refusal to endorse the appointment of Maggie Atkinson as Children's Commissioner for England. The decision has been presented as a personal challenge by Barry Sheerman, Chairman of the Committee, to Ed Balls and, by extension, to Gordon Brown. Barry Sheerman himself has helped to create this impression with remarks about Ed Balls being a "bit of a bully". But Ed Balls' working relationship with Ms Atkinson is hardly relevant to her fulfilment of the role. She does not take up post until March, and with a General Election coming up Ed Balls is likely to move on as Secretary of State - one way or another - very soon afterwards.

The row is interesting however as heralding a new direction for Select Committee pre-appointment hearings. The decision not to endorse Ms Atkinson's appointment was taken unanimously by the Committee. Their reason was that she came across to them, not just from her track record but also from her answers at the hearing, as too much of an establishment figure. She expressed a preference for working behind the scenes rather than public campaigning. The Committee wanted a different approach.

They also wanted more powers in this area. Their first conclusion was not about Ms Atkinson but on this point:

"We welcome the opportunity afforded by the pre-appointment hearing process to increase scrutiny by Parliament, on behalf of the public, of key public appointments. However, our role is closely circumscribed, which limits the value of involving select committees in the process, particularly as we have no means of comparing the preferred candidate with other applicants."

The point was taken up on the floor of the House and in television interviews too.

A decisive step has been taken by the Children, Schools and Families Committee and there is no going back now. Expect tougher pre-appointment hearings in future, more Committees declining to endorse appointments and more complaints from Committees if their views are ignored by Ministers.