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National Security Adviser

Asked by Mr Richard HoldenConservativeCabinet OfficeTabled Answered 10 June 2025UIN 57734

The question

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the National Security Adviser plays a role in the (a) recruitment and (b) selection of civil servants working on national security issues; and whether he has had discussions with the Civil Service Commission on this issue.

Answered by Ms Abena Oppong-Asare

Special advisers are bound by the Special Adviser Code of Conduct which states they should not be involved in the line management of civil servants or in matters affecting a civil servant’s career such as recruitment, promotion, reward and discipline. The commission ensures the integrity of recruitment, including in the NSS, in the usual way.

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