BARs Policy Review
As part of the Commission’s new responsibilities, announced in October 2025, we are undertaking a review of the Business Appointments Rules for civil servants.
We have been asked to make recommendations to Ministers on any further strengthening of the Rules. This work was announced in April 2026.
As well as speaking to a wide range of stakeholders, we are opening a public consultation to seek views on how we can help ensure the BARs remain robust, proportionate, and fit for purpose in a modern working environment.
The review will conclude by Autumn, following the completion of the first round of audits of applications handled by departments at lower grades.
The closing date for submissions is 1 July.
What are the Business Appointments Rules?
The Business Appointment Rules (BARs) are owned and published by the Cabinet Office. They exist to uphold the highest standards of propriety and integrity when individuals leave public service. The aims of the Rules are to avoid:
- Suspicion that an appointment might be a reward for past favours
- The risk that an employer might gain an improper advantage by appointing a former civil servant who holds sensitive information about its competitors, or about impending government policy
- The risk of a former civil servant improperly exploiting privileged access to contacts in government
- Unfair questioning or criticism of the integrity of civil servants
Who do the Business Appointments Rules apply to?
The Rules apply to all permanent civil servants, individuals on fixed-term contracts, those on secondment, and Special Advisers.
The Civil Service Commission provides independent advice on applications from the most senior officials (Permanent Secretaries and Directors General). At this level, the Rules apply for a period of two years. Applications for all roles must be submitted to the Commission for independent oversight after being completed by the individual and their HR department. The advice letters issued are published on the Commission’s website.
Applications at lower grades are managed internally by their respective home departments, with summary decisions published transparently online. The Rules are applicable to these grades for a period of twelve to twenty-four months.
What conditions and restrictions can be applied?
Standard conditions and restrictions will be applied depending on the nature of the role and the applicant’s former role in the Civil Service:
- The Lobbying Ban: A strict prohibition on becoming directly involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of the new employer or its clients, or using established government contacts to influence policy.
- The Contract/Bid Restriction: A ban on advising or working on bids to secure new UK Government contracts or funding for the new employer.
- Privileged Information: A continuous requirement not to draw on, disclose, or use any unannounced policy developments or commercially sensitive data acquired while in Crown service.
- Waiting Periods: In certain senior cases, a mandatory “cooling-off” or waiting period (up to a maximum of two years, or a standard minimum of three months for Permanent Secretaries) before the external role can be commenced.
We would like your views on the following questions
- What do you think the key purpose of the BARs should be?
- Are they currently defined to focus on the right risk areas?
- Do you think the current conditions are appropriate? What should the resulting conditions be?
Process
- What changes, if any, would you make to the way the BARs process works?
- How can the Commission maximise the benefits of its role overseeing both entry into and exit from the Civil Service?
- How should the Rules be communicated to applicants to ensure maximum awareness and compliance?
Enforcement and transparency
- What measures, such as sanctions or contractual obligations, can be implemented to ensure adherence to the Rules once conditions have been established?
- Is there sufficient transparency around decisions? What, if any, should the consequences be for non-compliance with the Rules?
How to Respond
Responses should be sent by email to [email protected].
We welcome thoughts from anyone with an interest in this area.
Responses should:
- State clearly who the response is from, i.e. whether from your or sent on behalf of an organisation.
- Comprise a single document. If there are any annexes or appendices, these should be included in the same document.
- Be concise.
- Contain a contact email address.
The Commission may use the information submitted to inform its review.
Responses sent after the deadline of 23:59 on Wednesday 1 July 2026 may not be considered.
Please note we will process your data in the way set out in our privacy notice (which can be found here).