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Dear Alex,
Fri 07/06/2019 4:08:13 PM (UTC)
Annex - Board and governance.docx
POL litigation sub - 6 June 2019 cc.docx
Annex A of options on POL - 6 June 2019 cc.docx
Annex B of appointments - 6 June 2019.docx
Lt to Kelly Tolhurst 4.6.19.docx sent.pdf
Letter to Kelly Tolhurst MP - 3rd June 2019.pdf
Letter from KT to Chair of POL May 2019.pdf
CEO shortlist candidates OFF-SEN PERSONAL.zip
You are due to meet Minister Tolhurst on Monday (10"), 16:45-17:30 and we will join you for a pre-
meeting at 10AM that morning. In advance, please see below for a short briefing note on key issues
and attached for key relevant documents.
Background
° This meeting was requested by Kelly Tolhurst, to discuss her concerns about POL’s Board and
Governance. Since that request, the Minister met Carl Creswell and Patrick Kilgarriff on 24 May
to discuss her ongoing concerns about the way in which POL are handling the litigation,
triggered by the judge’s decision to issue a costs order to POL;
* Following that discussion, the Minister wrote in strong terms to the POL Chair to seek further
information on POL’s approach to their legal strategy. POL was then discussed at Ministers’
weekly industry meeting on 4 June, probably prompted in part by the SoS, Kelly and Spad’s
concerns about the Daily Mail campaign. The below and attached provide relevant background
for you to discuss all of these issues, which are linked.
POL Board and Governance (attached: Annex on the listed issues)
* Kelly originally requested this meeting to discuss concerns about POL’s Board and
Governance. Her office asked you to be prepared to discuss the below, which are covered in the
attached note:
Background for Alex to meet Kelly on POL:
© How the board is appointed.
© How we can make changes to the board.
© Further clarity on why she cannot attend the board meetings.
oO Establishment of a protocol of information sharing with POL and a discussion of what
this would look like.
© Discussion on the potential liabilities to the government once the litigation has
concluded.
* Officials also shared a note on these issues with Kelly's office on 14 May.
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Follow up from Industry meeting (attached: POL litigation sub + Annexes, shortlisted CEO
candidates).
* Following discussion at Ministers’ industry meeting on 4 May, officials have prepared advice
to Ministers, which you reviewed over the weekend. Note that this advice has not yet been
shared with Kelly's office (we intend to do so w/c 10 June), but she is likely to want to discuss
issues that arose in the meeting;
* You also suggested we think through the quality of the shortlisted candidates for the POL
CEO role. Details of the candidates are attached. Interviews will take place on 11 June, after
which Tom Cooper will be best placed to advise on the quality of candidates and next steps
(advice on the interview outcomes will be sent to the Minister).
Recent Ministerial correspondence with POL (attached: Tolhurst letter to Chair, Chair’s reply and
CEO’s letter)
* On 29 May, Minister Tolhurst wrote to Tim Parker, Chair of the POL Board, to request further
information on POL’s approach to the ongoing litigation;
* On 3 June, Tim Parker replied and a meeting is now being set for the Minister to discuss
further detail with him;
* On 4 June, Al Cameron, interim CEO of POL, wrote to Minister Tolhurst on a number of other
issues.
Best wishes,
Eleanor
de Eleanor Beal
Department for
Business, Energy
& Industrial Strategy
Policy and Sectors Briefing Hub
ictoria Street, London SW1H OET
www.gov.uk/beis I https://twitter.com/beisgovuk