ministerial

He was hired on a one-year contract as a direct ministerial appointment, meaning the usual civil service recruitment procedures didn't have to be followed.

Although the plan could be revived in the future it is pretty clear, from the tone of the ministerial statement, that something major would have to change for that to happen.

Some - such as the Environment Agency, or the broadcasting regulator Ofcom - have powers to make decisions without ministerial input.

The senior judge said ministerial representative had been at all 15 meetings where the changes was discussed between July 2022 and January 2025.

She served as Peckham's MP for more than 40 years, and held a number of ministerial roles including the women and equalities brief in the New Labour governments of Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.