Appointment of the Commissioner for Public Appointments

Her Majesty The Queen has approved the appointment of William Shawcross CVO as the Commissioner for Public Appointments. William will take up the appointment on 1 October for a five-year, non-renewable term.

As Commissioner for Public Appointments, William Shawcross will play an important role in regulating the processes by which ministers from Her Majesty’s Government and the Welsh Government make appointments to the boards of public bodies.

The Rt Hon Steve Barclay, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said:

I am delighted to announce William Shawcross as the Commissioner for Public Appointments. William brings a wealth of experience to this role and has demonstrated that he possesses the skills and attributes to make an excellent Commissioner. I look forward to working with him in his new role.

I would like to extend my thanks to Peter Riddell for carrying out this important role over the last five years and wish him well in whatever he turns his attention to next.

William Shawcross, the new Commissioner for Public Appointments said:

I am honoured to be chosen as the new Public Appointments Commissioner. It is a great privilege to take on this role and I look forward to working with Her Majesty’s Government and the Welsh Government to make sure these appointments are regulated properly and transparently and to play my part in encouraging the best people to apply for these vital roles.

Notes to Editors:

• A fair and open recruitment process was carried out for the role in line with the principles of the Governance Code for Public Appointments.
• The appointment is subject to pre-appointment scrutiny. The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee held a pre-appointment hearing with William on 16 September and subsequently endorsed his appointment.
• In April, the Prime Minister extended the term of the Rt Hon Peter Riddell CBE as Commissioner for Public Appointments until 30 September 2021.
• William Shawcross was appointed as the Independent Reviewer of Prevent in January this year to undertake a time limited, specific review, independent of the Government. He will complete and present his report to the Government in due course.
• He was the Chair of the Charity Commission between 2012 and 2018 and became the Special Representative on UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism in March 2019.
• His previous roles have included membership of the UN High Commission for Refugees Informal Advisory Panel between 1995 and 2000, and of the Council of the Disasters Emergency Committee between 1997 to 2002. He also served on the board of the International Crisis Group between 1995 and 2006.