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1. BUSINESS APPOINTMENT APPLICATION: Laurence James Mann CBE, former Special Adviser to the Foreign Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Paid appointment with PayCargo LLC.聽

Mr Mann sought advice from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (the Committee) under the government鈥檚 Business Appointments Rules for Former Crown Servants (the Rules) on taking up appointment as the Chief of Staff to the Chair of the Advisory Board for PayCargo LLC (PayCargo).聽

皇冠体育app purpose of the Rules is to protect the integrity of the government. 皇冠体育app Committee has considered the risks associated with the actions and decisions made during Mr Mann鈥檚 time in office, alongside the information and influence the former Special Adviser to the Foreign Secretary could offer PayCargo. 皇冠体育app material information taken into consideration by the Committee is set out in the annex.

皇冠体育app Committee鈥檚 advice is not an endorsement of the appointment - it imposes a number of conditions to mitigate the potential risks to the government associated with the appointment under the Rules.

皇冠体育app Rules^{[footnote 1]} set out that Crown servants must abide by the Committee鈥檚 advice.聽 It is an applicant鈥檚 personal responsibility to manage the propriety of any appointment. Former Crown servants are expected to uphold the highest standards of propriety and act in accordance with the 7 Principles of Public Life.

2. 皇冠体育app Committee鈥檚 Consideration of the risks presented聽

Mr Mann did not make any policy, regulatory or commercial decisions specific to PayCargo whilst in office. He did not meet with the company in office. 皇冠体育appre is no known relationship between PayCargo and Mr Mann鈥檚 former department, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).聽 皇冠体育apprefore, the Committee^{[footnote 2]} considered that the risk that this role could be seen as a reward for Mr Mann鈥檚 decisions in office is low.聽聽

As Special Adviser to the Foreign Secretary, Mr Mann will have had access to a wide range of privileged information. 皇冠体育app risks are limited given there is no direct overlap between Mr Mann鈥檚 role in government and his proposed role with PayCargo; the FCDO is not aware of any聽 specific information that could provide an unfair advantage to PayCargo.聽

皇冠体育appre are risks associated with Mr Mann鈥檚 influence and network of contacts gained whilst in Crown service. Part of Mr Mann鈥檚 role with PayCargo is supporting Lord Cameron to advise the board on its global expansion.聽 Mr Mann said that his role will not involve contact with the UK government. However, in supporting Lord Cameron in the company鈥檚 business development, there is a risk that Mr Mann could draw on his contacts gained in office but outside of government to the unfair advantage of PayCargo LLC.聽

皇冠体育app Committee recognised that Mr Mann wishes to resume his role with PayCargo, having previously been Chief of Staff to the Chair of the Advisory Board from 2022 to 2023, prior to becoming Special Adviser to the Foreign Secretary.聽

3. 皇冠体育app Committee鈥檚 advice聽

皇冠体育app Committee determined the risks identified in this application can be appropriately mitigated by the conditions below. 皇冠体育appse make it clear that Mr Mann cannot make use of privileged information, contacts or influence gained from his time in Crown service to the unfair advantage of PayCargo.聽

In accordance with the government鈥檚 Business Appointment Rules, the Committee advises this appointment with PayCargo LLC be subject to the following conditions:

• he should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of himself or the persons or organisations to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to him from his time in Crown service;

• for two years from his last day in Crown service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK government or any of its arm鈥檚 length bodies on behalf of PayCargo LLC (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients); nor should he make use, directly or indirectly, of his contacts in the government and/or Crown service contacts to influence policy, secure business/funding or otherwise unfairly advantage聽 PayCargo LLC (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients);聽

• for two years from his last day in Crown service, he should not provide advice to PayCargo LLC (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients) on the terms of, or with regard to the subject matter of, a bid with, or contract relating directly to the work of the UK government or any of its arm鈥檚 length bodies; and聽

• for two years from his last day in Crown service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying contacts he has developed during his time in office and in foreign governments and organisations for the purpose of securing business for聽 PayCargo LLC (including parent companies, subsidiaries and partners).聽

皇冠体育app advice and the conditions under the government鈥檚 Business Appointment Rules relate to an applicant鈥檚 previous role in government only; they are separate from rules administered by other bodies such as the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and the Registrar of Lords鈥� Interests.^{[footnote 3]} It is an applicant鈥檚 personal responsibility to understand any other rules and regulations they may be subject to in parallel with this Committee鈥檚 advice.

By 鈥榩rivileged information鈥� we mean official information to which a minister or Crown servant has had access as a consequence of his or her office or employment and which has not been made publicly available. Applicants are also reminded that they may be subject to other duties of confidentiality, whether under the Official Secrets Act, the Ministerial Code/Civil Service Code or otherwise.

皇冠体育app Business Appointment Rules explain that the restriction on lobbying means that the former Crown servant 鈥渟hould not engage in communication with Government (Ministers, civil servants, including special advisers, and other relevant officials/public office holders) 鈥� wherever it takes place 鈥� with a view to influencing a Government decision, policy or contract award/grant in relation to their own interests or the interests of the organisation by which they are employed, or to whom they are contracted or with which they hold office.鈥�

Mr Mann must inform us as soon as he takes up this work or if it is announced that he will do so. Similarly, he must inform us if he proposes to extend or otherwise change her role with the organisation as depending on the circumstances, it might be necessary for him to seek fresh advice.

Once this appointment has been publicly announced or taken up, we will publish this letter on the Committee鈥檚 website.

4. Annex- Material Information

4.1 皇冠体育app role聽

PayCargo is an online financial platform for money moving and information about remittance between payers and vendors in the cargo/ freight logistics industry. Its website says it allows payers, vendors, and freight brokers to settle accounts within a standardised, secure platform. PayCargo is based in the US. PayCargo does not have a known relationship with the UK government. 聽

Mr Mann wishes to take up a part-time, paid role as the Chief of Staff to the Chair of the Advisory Board of PayCargo. Mr Mann said his role will be to support Lord Cameron as Chairman of PayCargo鈥檚 Advisory Board, providing strategic advice with a particular emphasis on international expansion and global risk. Mr Mann said that his role will not involve any contact with the UK government.聽

Mr Mann previously held the role of the Chief of Staff to the Chair of the Advisory Board for PayCargo from 2022- 2023; his role was paused upon his and Lord Cameron鈥檚 return to government.聽

4.2 Dealings in office聽

Mr Mann said he did not meet with PayCargo in his capacity as Special Adviser to the Foreign Secretary, nor does PayCargo have a relationship with the FCDO or the UK government. He said that he did not make any policy, commercial or regulatory decisions specific to PayCargo in ministerial office.聽

4.3 Departmental assessment聽

皇冠体育app FCDO said that you did not make any decisions specific to PayCargo in office, nor did you meet with the company in your role as Special Adviser to the Foreign Secretary. Neither the FCDO nor government have a known relationship with PayCargo.聽

皇冠体育app FCDO noted that with the focus of Mr Mann鈥檚 role in supporting Lord Cameron in advising PayCargo鈥檚 board in its global expansion, he could use contacts external to government but gained in office to the unfair advantage of PayCargo.聽

皇冠体育app FCDO recommended standard conditions and a condition to prevent Mr Mann from lobbying contacts gained in office that are outside of government to gain business for the company.