First Civil Service Commissioner responds to the Minister for the Cabinet Office on proposed changes to the role of the Civil Service Commission

The Rt. Hon. Baroness Gisela Stuart of Edgbaston, First Civil Service Commissioner, has written to the Rt. Hon. Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office and His Majesty’s Paymaster General, responding to his invitation to the Civil Service Commission to take on a new role providing independent advice on, and scrutiny of, the application of the Business Appointment Rules (BARs) for civil servants and special advisers.

These changes will become operational on 13 October 2025. The Commission will publish further a further update later in the summer.

Read: First Civil Service Commissioner to Minister for the Cabinet Office (Friday 11 July 2025)

Further information:

Read: Minister for the Cabinet Office to First Civil Service Commissioner (Wednesday 9 July 2025) 

Read: Written statement from Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Monday 21 July 2025)

Read: Ethics and Integrity Commission to drive up standards across the public sector (Monday 21 July 2025)