§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the President of the Council what consideration underlay the decision to appoint Pricewaterhouse to headhunt for possible members of the Appointments Commission; and if she will make a statement. [107350]
§ Mrs. BeckettThe Government decided to use recruitment consultants to assist in the process of identifying candidates for the House of Lords Appointments Commission in order to ensure that the widest possible field of candidates was considered, and to benefit from their professional expertise in managing the process. PricewaterhouseCoopers executive search and selection were appointed after four firms were invited to tender for the project. The whole process is being done under the principles of the Commissioner 633W for Public Accounts, and will also include public advertisements. The actual appointments will be made by a selection panel.