FOI 07-25: Information regarding the appointment of John Sturrock KC

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

10 February 2025

Our Ref: FoI 07-25

Freedom of Information Act 2000

I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 6 January 2025 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). In your request, you asked that the Assembly Commission-

"(i) Confirm that the Assembly followed established procurement policies and procedures in the appointment of John Sturrock KC for the investigation into the anonymous allegations regarding Internal Audit…

(ii) Give details of the number of potential suppliers of this work that were approached, how it was advertised, who was involved in determining the successful applicant etc."

 

Our response

The Assembly Commission holds information in relation to your request. The two elements of your request have been numbered for ease of reference.

  1. The Assembly Commission's appointment of Mr. Sturrock KC was made in accordance with its Corporate Procurement Policy. On 29 November 2023, the Assembly Commission agreed that the then Speaker (Mr. Alex Maskey) should appoint an appropriately-qualified external person to conduct a review to investigate the contents of the anonymous allegations, and that the Assembly Commission should meet the reasonable costs of that review, consistent with any applicable internal Assembly Commission policies. The appointment of Mr. Sturrock KC was made in accordance with the Corporate Procurement Policy.
  2. The applicable policy did not require that more than one potential supplier be approached, or that the role be advertised. The decision to appoint Mr. Sturrock to carry out the review was taken by Mr. Maskey based on advice from Assembly Commission officials.

 

Further Information

You have the right to request an internal review of this decision by the Assembly Commission. If you wish to request such a review, please write to me at the above address. If, after that review, you are dissatisfied with the way in which the Assembly Commission has handled your request for information, you may complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Your request for information and our response may be published in the disclosure log maintained by the Assembly Commission under a publication scheme agreed with the ICO. The request and our response will be anonymised.

Yours faithfully

INFORMATION STANDARDS