About us
The Shareholder Executive was set up in September 2003 to work with shareholder departments in Government to improve fundamentally the Government’s capabilities and performance as a shareholder.
Our current remit covers a portfolio of over 20 businesses (from organisations as large as the Royal Mail to smaller businesses like the UK Hydrographic Office) spanning a number of government departments across Whitehall.
We also offer a wide range of corporate finance expertise and advice across Government, which is applied beyond the portfolio of government-owned businesses. This includes the appraisal and negotiation of financial assistance to companies in the UK as well as provision of financial, analytical and negotiation support to Ministers and Departments in their dealings with companies. For example, we provide corporate finance advice on major initiatives to a range of departmental clients across government in the following areas: Financial Interventions; Launch Investment; Rescue and Restructuring Aid; Grant for Business Investment; and commercial advice on key third party relationships.
On the 18 July, there was a written Ministerial Statement announcing a number of Machinery of Government Changes affecting the Shareholder Executive:
- • HM Land Registry, the Met Office and Ordnance Survey moved from their respective Government Departments to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills as part of the recently created Public Data Corporation aimed at bringing together Government bodies and data to provide an unprecedented level of easily accessible public data and drive further efficiency in the delivery of public services.
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- The Government Property Unit (GPU) moved to the Cabinet Office to become part of the Efficiency Reform Group.
Objective
The Shareholder Executive's overarching objective is to be an effective shareholder of businesses owned or part-owned by the Government and to manage Government’s interventions in the private sector in order to secure best value for taxpayer.
Current Priorities (as at September 2011)
- to manage the Government’s shareholding in Royal Mail Holdings plc, which includes subsidiaries Royal Mail Group Ltd (the letter delivery business) and Post Office Ltd (which operates the post office network) including implementation of the provisions of the Postal Services Act 2011 which comprises:
o Modernisation of the Royal Mail business
o Introduction of private capital
o Achieving a stable and sustainable post office network
- to assess the options to monetise the Student Loan book
- to bring together several Government bodies and data in a Public Data Corporation (PDC) to provide an unprecedented level of easily accessible public data and drive further efficiency in the delivery of public services
- to lead the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) Public Value programme to identify scope for significant affordability improvements without unacceptable impacts on vfm, safety, deliverability and policy
- to provide technical support on realisation of value for RDA assets
- to pursue the commercialisation, efficiency and examination of alternative ownership structures for other core assets within the ShEx portfolio
- to advise on the possible sale of non-core assets managed within the corporate finance practice as part of the Government’s growth and efficiency agenda
- to advise on possible financial interventions by the Government
- to advise on implications arising from companies that are in distress
- to provide technical support for the establishment of a Green Investment Bank
