Decision-making and approvals for Director of Operations post

FOI reference: FOI-2025-2974

You asked

Sir Robert Chote told PACAC on 1 July 2025 that "there was a full discussion on the Executive Committee of the appropriateness of this role and suggested salary package that went with it" to create a new Director of Operations position in ONS.

1) When was this Executive Committee meeting held, who participated in the meeting, who prepared the business case to create a new role, and what decision was made? 

2) Please provide a copy of the Committee agenda, minutes, and all relevant papers or submissions. 

Sir Robert also said that he "checked specifically" with the Cabinet Office that the decisions on structure and pay relating to this new Director role were appropriate for the Accounting Officer (National Statistician) to make.

3) Please provide a copy of all correspondence between the Cabinet Office (including the Civil Service Commission), the UKSA, and ONS in relation to the Director of Operations post - including the email or letter cited.

We said

Thank you for your request. 

In response to your first and second queries, we would note that Sir Robert's statement to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) was: "I don't know the precise details. I mean clearly there was as I was told a full discussion at the executive committee of the appropriateness of this role and the suggested salary package that went with it. I checked with the Cabinet Office ahead of the appropriate discussion at our level as to whether the appropriate approvals and process had been followed.".

Following a thorough search of our records, we have been unable to find any record of such a discussion at the Executive Committee and therefore we do not hold any information in scope of your request. It is possible that there were undocumented informal discussions at various points between members of the Executive Committee, rather than this being raised as a formal meeting agenda item. 

Regarding your third query, relevant material in scope can be found in the associated download. 

References to individuals' exact salaries and bonus payments in the correspondence and associated documents are redacted under Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), as this would be a disproportionate disclosure of personal data. This information is released as a banded figure on page 89 of the UK Statistics Authority Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25 (PDF, 3.9MB). 

Other personal data, such as names of individuals who have left the ONS, annual leave arrangements or working patterns, email addresses and telephone numbers are also redacted from this disclosure under s.40(2) of FOIA.