Governance
How the Commission is overseen and held accountable as a public body.
An Executive Agency of HM Treasury
The Commission operates independently, at arm’s length from government.
The National Infrastructure Commission was established as an Executive Agency of HM Treasury in January 2017.
The Commission’s purpose, and its principal outputs, accountabilities and duties are set out in its Charter and accompanying Framework Document, which together safeguard the Commission’s discretion over its work programme and the independence of its reports and recommendations. The Charter also sets out the balance of responsibility between the government and the Commission.
The Commission’s operational independence is central to the credibility of its advice and the effective delivery of its responsibilities. To support this, it seeks to perform its duties objectively, transparently and impartially.
Accountability
The Commission's work and use of public money is monitored in a range of ways.
The Commission has established an Oversight Board and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee to help monitor the organisation's performance and proper use of public funds.
Oversight Board
The National Infrastructure Commission’s Oversight Board was established on 31 July 2017 to supervise the Commission’s financial management and administrative functions. The role of the Oversight Board is to ensure the Commission has the staff and support it needs to enable it to provide high quality advice to the government and to provide assurance that effective internal control and risk management systems are in place.
The Oversight Board consists of the Chair of the Commission, a representative of the Treasury, appropriate executive members including the Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer, and non-executive members who may either be Commissioners nominated by the Chair, or external members appointed by the Chair. The current members of the Board are:
- Sir John Armitt, Chair
- James Heath, Chief Executive Office and Executive Member
- Mark Ardron, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Member
- David Finlay, Non-Executive Member
- Katherine Easter, Non-Executive Member
- Dennis Skinner, Non-Executive Member
- Linda Timson, HM Treasury Representative.
The dates of Oversight Board meetings in 2024 are:
- 25 January
- 18 April
- 16 July
- 24 October.
The Oversight Board’s functions relate to the corporate management of the Commission. It has no role in agreeing or reviewing its policy reports or recommendations.
Audit and Risk Assurance Committee
The Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC) of the Oversight Board was established on 3 October 2017 to support the board in discharging its responsibilities in relation to issues of risk, control and governance, and of associated assurances.
The independent members of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee are:
- David Finlay, Chair
- Katherine Easter, Non-Executive Member
- Dennis Skinner, Non-Executive Member
The dates of Audit and Risk Assurance Committee meetings in 2024 are:
- 14 March
- 27 June
- 19 September
- 12 December.
Chief Executive and Senior Management Team
The Chief Executive is responsible for managing the National Infrastructure Commission with oversight from the Oversight Board, and is also the Accounting Officer for the agency.
The Chief Executive is supported by a Senior Management Team comprising the Chief Economist, the Chief Operating Officer and two Directors of Policy. This group meets regularly and provides day-to-day oversight of the Commission staff’s activities.
Resources and corporate plan
The Commission received a multi-year settlement covering 2022-25 at the autumn 2021 Spending Review. This allows the Commission to be confident of its funding and plan across a number of years. Use of these funds is supervised by the Oversight Board.
In all its activities, the Commission operates in line with the principles set out in Managing Public Money and will seek to obtain value for money from its expenditure.
The Commission has published a Corporate Plan for the period up to 2023-26 setting out its governance, objectives and programme of work.
Register of interests
A register of interests covering the members of the Commission, the Design Group and the Young Professionals Panel, plus the senior management team, is periodically updated and is available on our website here for review.
Latest updates
Michèle Dix to join National Infrastructure Commission
The Chancellor has today (10 October 2023) appointed Michèle Dix CBE – a former managing director of Crossrail 2 and director of planning at Transport for London – as a new Commissioner to join the National Infrastructure Commission. Announcing the appointment, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “We need high quality infrastructure to deliver...
Sir John Armitt reappointed Chair and Julia Prescot appointed Deputy Chair
Sir John Armitt has been reappointed as Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission for a further two years while current Commissioner Julia Prescot has been appointed Deputy Chair. In an announcement made by HM Treasury today (10 January 2023), the Chancellor has confirmed that Sir John’s tenure as Chair will now end in January 2025...
Bridget Rosewell steps down as a Commissioner
Bridget Rosewell is stepping down as a National Infrastructure Commissioner and will now support the Commission as a specialist adviser in the run up to the next National Infrastructure Assessment. The change in role follows Bridget’s appointment as a non-executive director of the UK Infrastructure Bank. During her seven-year tenure at the Commission, Bridget contributed...