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Senior Civil Servants: Recruitment

Asked by Kevin HollinrakeConservativeCabinet OfficeTabled Answered 21 April 2026UIN 120632

The question

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has issued on the use of merit order when using a reserve list for the appointment of a (a) Cabinet Secretary and (b) Permanent Secretary.

Answered by Satvir Kaur

The Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles set out rules on reserve list appointments (here, page 5). This applies to all appointments, and there is no separate guidance for appointment of a Cabinet Secretary or Permanent Secretaries.

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