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Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will makea statement on the methodology involved in the appointment of a new Sergeant at Arms. [187403]Sir Archy Kirkwood: The Serjeant at Arms is a Crown appointment, made on the recommendation of the Speaker. Following theannouncement that the current Serjeant at Arms, Sir Michael Cummins, would shortly retire, the Speaker decided that the post shouldbe advertised both internally and externally, in the national press. A recruitment board was set up under the chairmanship of theClerk of the House. It included an external member, drawn from the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments' central listof independent assessors, and the hon. Member for North East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) as a representative of the Commission. Theboard agreed a long list of candidates for preliminary interviews by external recruitment consultants and, subsequently, a shortlist for final interviews, conducted by the board. As a result of this process, the Speaker recommended the appointment of MajorGeneral Anthony Peter Grant Peterkin, CB, OBE. His appointment was announced to the House on 20 July and he will take coverfrom Sir Michael on 1 January 2005. |