UKGI00019884 - Email chain from Richard Callard to Laura Thompson re: Submission to Secretary of State and Baroness Neville-Rolfe on Post Office Chair appointment

Evidence on official site

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Message

From: Callard Richard (ShE:

Sent: 17/06/2015 15:16:01

To: Thompson Laura (Shareholder Executive}

Subject: RE: Submission to Secretary of State and Baroness Neville-Rolfe on Post Office Chair appointment

Ok. Text when email sent on sparrow

Sent from my Windows Phone

From: Thompson Laura (Shareholder Executive)
Sent: 17/06/2015 15:54
To: Callard Richard (ShEx:’

Subject: RE: Submission to Secretary of State and Baroness Neville-Rolfe on Post Office Chair appointment

Mark has a call out to Tim, will let you know when I hear anything. Also something urgent just come in on sparrow —
possible question to the leader of the hosue tomorrow. I will provide some lines, grateful if you could keep an eye on the
email.

From: Callard Richard (ShEx)

Sent: 17 June 2015 15:52

To: Thompson Laura (Shareholder Executive)

Subject: RE: Submission to Secretary of State and Baroness Neville-Rolfe on Post Office Chair appointment

Indeed. Can you let me know when mark has talked to Tim and give me a readout. Al ready to go but he hadn't realised
its all or nothing!

Sent from my Windows Phone

From: Thompson Laura (Shareholder Executive)
Sent: 17/06/2015 15:09
To: Callard Richard (ShEx

Subject: FW: Submission to Secretary of State and Baroness Neville-Rolfe on Post Office Chair appointment

Interesting to know that SpAds can respond to things within an hour if it suits them... Even if it is with inane responses.

r I Shareholder Executive

From: Spad Maude MPST

Sent: 17 June 2015 14:56

To: Thompson Laura (Shareholder Executive); Javid MPST

Cc: Neville-Rolfe MPST; SpAd Javid MPST; Spad Maude MPST; Callard Richard (ShEx); Gracey Caroline (Finance); Darling
Steve (Finance); Geary Mary-Anne (Finance)

Subject: RE: Submission to Secretary of State and Baroness Neville-Rolfe on Post Office Chair appointment

Good afternoon all,

Many thanks for this I have sent it to Simone and she has requested the following;
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e Laura please can we go back to Tim with answers to his query today, and copy SpAd Maude account in
as Simone has also asked to see the information he receives.

e SoS office, if Tim Parker will accept appointment, that is an excellent outcome. If he does not, this will
mean re-running yet another competition we can discuss this further if it comes to that.

e Charlie, are you aware of any other reassurance Tim requires?

Happy to discuss.

Kind regards,

Lucy
ee Lucy Mallett
a i & Assistant Private Secretary to Simone Finn
GRO iE GRO i
ee t, SW1H OET
lor Business www.gov.uk/bis I @bisgovuk I blogs.bis.gov.uk
Innovation & Skills BIS I Connecting people to opportunity and prosperity

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From: Thompson Laura (Shareholder Executive)

Sent: 17 June 2015 14:07

To: Javid MPST

Cc: Neville-Rolfe MPST; SpAd Javid MPST; Spad Maude MPST; Callard Richard (ShEx)

Subject: FW: Submission to Secretary of State and Baroness Neville-Rolfe on Post Office Chair appointment

Hi George

We spoke — Baroness Neville-Rolfe met the two appointable candidates earlier today. We spoke to the Minister after her
meeting. She confirmed that she would be happy to appoint Tim Parker to the role but did not feel Simon Burke was
suitable — while he had some very good experience, he did not give her the confidence that he would be a strong chair,
she felt he would need more support from Government in steering the business. Charlie — any more to add?

I would be grateful if you could therefore seek the Secretary of State’s views on the appointment. Please also note that
Tim Parker expressed an interest in seeing some more up-to-date figures on Post Office before accepting the role, if he
were to be offered it. We believe this is just thoroughness on his part — he needs to be confident what he is getting in to
—and we are following this up with Post Office and with the public appointments assessor so that we can answer his
queries swiftly.

As I explained on the phone, there is the possibility that we could get this appointment into the PM’s box this Friday, so
if the Secretary of State is able to consider this tonight, that would be really helpful. We do not intend to approach No
10 on this though until we have followed up on Tim’s queries.

Thanks

Laura

Laura Thompson I Assistant Director I Shareholder Executive

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From: Thompson Laura (Shareholder Executive)

Sent: 15 June 2015 14:25

To: Neville-Rolfe MPST; Javid MPST

Cc: Freeman MPST; SpAd Javid MPST; Spad Maude MPST; Perm Sec (BIS); Russell Mark (ShEx); Odgers Anthony (ShEx);
Orme Howard (Finance and Commercial); Partner Organisation and Governance Team; Darling Steve (Finance); Callard
Richard (ShEx); McInnes Tim (ShEx); Baugh James (ShEx); Dollin Michael (Shareholder Executive); Boughen Aileen

; Rogers Ashley (Communications); Creer Simon (Communications);

French Claire (Communications)
Subject: Submission to Secretary of State and Baroness Neville-Rolfe on Post Office Chair appointment

Ana, George

Please see attached submission to Baroness Neville-Rolfe and the Secretary of State regarding the appointment of a new
Chair for Post Office Limited.

This consists of:
e = Covering submission
e Selection panel report
e Overview of each appointable candidate
¢ — CVand career history for each appointable candidate (two PDFs)

The submission has been shared with SpAds and Simone Finn’s office will feed back her views to you directly. Cabinet
Office have also been kept informed of the process and we understand their Minister Matt Hancock is content with the
field (and considers Tim Parker to be a strong candidate).

Baroness Neville-Rolfe is meeting each candidate on Wednesday 17 June, accompanied by the selection panel chair,
Sarah Anderson CBE. Officials will note attend these meetings, but we have a meeting with the Minister directly after
where we can discuss her views if that would be helpful.

Following those meetings I would be grateful for a decision from Baroness Neville-Rolfe and the Secretary of State by
the end of the week (Friday 19 June) if at all possible. This will ensure that we can get this into the Prime Minister’s box
on Monday 22 June and then be in a position to announce the successful candidate in early July, before the next POL
Board meeting.

Many thanks

Laura

older Executive

Laura Thompson I Assistant Director, Post Office Network Ti
f

BIS, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H OET I{
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/the-shareholder-executive

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