To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria in respect of fair and open competition apply to appointments to the post of High Commissioner to Australia; and on how many occasions an appointment to this post has been made through open competition within the Diplomatic Service in the last 10 years. (287400)

No one has been appointed as high commissioner to Australia through Diplomatic Service open competition for the last 10 years.

High commissioners can be appointed either through the civil service recruitment process or by Diplomatic Service Order in Council.