Appointment of Kirsty Caldwell to the Industry Forum in 2024

Request

Please provide the following process-based information relating to the appointment of Kirsty Caldwell to the Industry Forum in 2024. For clarity, this request does not seek any personal data about Ms Caldwell.

I request:

All documents describing the process, procedures, and criteria used by the Gambling Commission when assessing candidates for appointment to the Industry Forum in 2024, including but not limited to:

appointment frameworks

eligibility criteria

assessment criteria

decision-making procedures

risk-assessment or governance-assessment processes

conflict-of-interest procedures

due-diligence methodologies

All internal guidance, policies, or templates used by Commission staff when conducting due-diligence checks for Industry Forum appointments in 2024.

All documents recording the steps taken by the Commission to ensure compliance with its own appointment procedures in relation to the 2024 appointment round, including:

checklists

process-completion records

compliance confirmations

audit or assurance notes

Any documents describing how the Commission ensures that Industry Forum appointments comply with the Code of Conduct and Terms of Reference, including how these requirements were applied during the 2024 appointment cycle.

Any documents setting out the governance rationale for appointing individuals with prior directorships in gambling-related companies, including how such factors are assessed within the Commission's appointment processes.

Response

Thank you for your request which has been processed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

In your email you have requested process-based information relating to the appointment of Kirsty Caldwell to the Industry Forum in 2024. For clarity, this request does not seek any personal data about Ms Caldwell.

FOIA gives individuals the right to request recorded information held by public authorities at the time of the request. In this case we have treated your request as a request for recorded information as to the process for the appointment of Kirsty Caldwell to the Industry Forum in 2024.

Before we respond to your individual questions, we believe it is important to provide additional context to both your request and our response.

The Commission has published Industry Forum’s Terms of Reference (ToR) on our website. Further information relating to the Code of Conduct and ToR can be found here: Industry Forum: Code of Conduct for members (opens in new tab) and Industry Forum Terms of reference (opens in new tab).

The Industry Forum provides the Commission with feedback and insight about policy proposals and operating conditions, gained from working in or with the gambling industry. The role is unpaid and members appointed through an expression of interest.

Applicants submitted expressions of interest to the Commission in the first instance, before a discussion took place regarding shortlisting a list of candidates to interview.

We respond to your requests below:

1. All documents describing the process, procedures, and criteria used by the Gambling Commission when assessing candidates for appointment to the Industry Forum in 2024, including but not limited to:
2. appointment frameworks

No information is held falling within the scope of this part of your request.

2. eligibility criteria

No information is held falling within the scope of this part of your request.

3. assessment criteria

The Gambling Commission does hold information relevant to this part of your request. Please see the attached document titled ‘Interview Questions’.

4. decision-making procedures

No information is held falling within the scope of this part of your request.

5. risk-assessment or governance-assessment processes

No information is held falling within the scope of this part of your request.

6. conflict-of-interest procedures

The Gambling Commission does hold information within the scope of this part of your request. Please see the attached document titled ‘Industry Forum Declarations of Interests Form’.

7. due-diligence methodologies

No information is held falling within the scope of this part of your request.

2. All internal guidance, policies, or templates used by Commission staff when conducting due-diligence checks for Industry Forum appointments in 2024.

No information is held falling within scope of this part of your request.

3. All documents recording the steps taken by the Commission to ensure compliance with its own appointment procedures in relation to the 2024 appointment round, including:

• checklists
• process-completion records
• compliance confirmations
• audit or assurance notes

No information is held falling within the scope of this part of your request.

4. Any documents describing how the Commission ensures that Industry Forum appointments comply with the Code of Conduct and Terms of Reference, including how these requirements were applied during the 2024 appointment cycle.

No information is held falling within the scope of this part of your request.

Any declaration which may represent a conflict of interest, or potential conflict of interest, relevant to the work of the Commission are published here: Independent Members register of interests (opens in new tab). The privacy notice for processing this information is published here: Gambling Commission: Managing conflicts of interest policy - Annex B: Privacy notice – register of personal interests (opens in new tab).

5. Any documents setting out the governance rationale for appointing individuals with prior directorships in gambling-related companies, including how such factors are assessed within the Commission's appointment processes.

No information is held falling within the scope of this part of your request. Information relevant to the purpose and role of the Forum is published on the Gambling Commission’s website.

Review of the decision

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your Freedom of Information request you are entitled to an internal review of our decision. You should write to FOI Team, Gambling Commission, 4th floor, Victoria Square House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B2 4BP or by reply to this email. 

Please note, internal review requests should be made within 40 working days of the initial response. Requests made outside this timeframe will not be processed.

If you are not content with the outcome of our review, you may then apply directly to the Information Commissioner (ICO) for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have already exhausted the review procedure provided by the Gambling Commission. 

It should be noted that if you wish to raise a complaint with the ICO about the Commission’s handling of your request for information, then you are required to do so within six weeks of receiving your final response or last substantive contact with us.

The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office (opens in new tab), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Information Management Team
Gambling Commission

Files

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