The former director general of communications at the Department of Health has sparked a conflict of interest row after joining Asda, the supermarket that backed the £250 million anti-obesity scheme she oversaw.
Ex-GMTV political reporter Sian Jarvis was heavily involved in the DoH’s healthy eating programme Change4Life before she left in September.
The scheme provided vouchers for money off Asda’s own-brand food.
Jarvis has been employed as group director of communications and public affairs in a move criticised by Tory MP Nick de Bois.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘The public rightly expects senior Ministers not to move directly from government into well-paid, related jobs in the private sector. Senior civil servants should be careful to avoid accusations of the same sort of thing.’
Asda said: "Sian's appointment has been scrutinised by the business appointments committee in the normal way. It is satisfied there's no conflict of interest and has cleared her appointment.
"There is a two year ban on lobbying ministers which applies to all senior civil servants, which safeguards against any potential conflicts."
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