The Commissioner for Public Appointments in England and Wales is a British public servant who heads the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in England and Wales. They ensure that ministerial public appointments in the United Kingdom are made on merit.
It is parallel to the role of First Civil Service Commissioner, but directed at non-Civil Service appointments, which are generally more independent of government and high-profile positions. There are also similar bodies for the other two legal regions of the United Kingdom – the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland and the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland. It should not be confused with the Appointments Commission which is responsible for filling 1,100 such posts, and which the Office regulates.
As of April 2016, the current Commissioner for Public Appointments is Peter Riddell.