Latest civil service & public affairs moves – Dec 20-Jan 20
Appointments in the civil service, UK politics, and public affairs in the last month, via Dods People
UK government
- Department for Business and Trade: Trade Remedies Authority – John Alty, Guita Blake and Patricia Gallan appointed as non-executive directors.
- Cabinet Office – New Years Honours 2025: Dame Emily Thornberry– DBE; Sir Sadiq Khan – Knighthood; Baroness Gustafsson – CBE; Hina Bokhari – OBE; Baroness Ford – LVO. Micheal Ellman appointed as second permanent secretary, European Union and international economic affairs for five years from 13 January. Cabinet Office Board – Baroness Casey of Blackstock appointed as lead non-executive director.
- Department for Culture, Media and Sport: British Tourism Authority Board – Peter Gowers and Karin Sheppard appointed for five years from 6 January until 5 January 2030. Royal Museums Greenwich – Teresa Anderson, Emma Bunce and Julia Mundy appointed as trustees for four years until 19 November 2028. Tate – Roland Rudd re-appointed as chair of Tate trustees for three years from 31 January until 30 January 2028; Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia re-appointed as trustee for two years until 13 November 2026. VisitEngland – Nadine Thomson appointed as board member for five years from 6 January until 5 January 2030.
- Ministry of Defence – New Years Honours 2025: Al Carns MP – DSO
- Department for Education: DfE Board – Sir Kevan Collins appointed as lead non-executive board member for three years from 11 February. Student Loan Company – Luke Bennett, Hannah Bows, Helen Flynn, Mandy Nepal, Melanie Palmer and Georgia Taylor appointed as independent assessors for student finance appeals and complaints for 3 years from 6 January; Michaela Jones, Naseem Malik and Jonathan Willis’ terms as independent assessors for student finance appeals and complaints extended for eight months from 1 May.
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero – Jean Llewellyn re-appointed as security non-executive director to the board for three years from 1 October until 30 September 2028.
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Animal Welfare Committee – Dr Jane Downes, Dr Troy Gibson and Dr Dorothy McKeegan’s terms extended for nine months from 1 January until 30 September 2025. Forestry Commission – Nilesh (Neil) Sachdev appointed as non-executive commissioner for three years.
- Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Sir Oliver (Olly) Robbins appointed as permanent under-secretary, succeeding Sir Philip Barton. Joanne Olivier appointed as His Majesty’s ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg from April, succeeding Fleur Thomas. David Ashley appointed as His Majesty’s ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan from January, succeeding Guy Warrington. Kumar Iyer appointed as the United Kingdom’s ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, World Trade Organisation and other International Organisations based in Geneva from July, succeeding Simon Manley who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Lord Mandelson appointed as British ambassador to the United States of America. Harriet Cross appointed as Governor of Montserrat from April, succeeding Sarah Tucker who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.
- Department of Health and Social Care: NHS Counter Fraud Authority – Gaon Hart appointed as interim chair January until June; Angela Dragone appointed as non-executive director for three years from January.
- Home Office: Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs – Dr Caroline Copeland, Prof Colin Davidson, Bethan Gibbs, Prof Amira Guirguis, Jason Harwin, Prof Katy Holloway, Prof Stephen Husbands, Sapna Lewis, Fiona Spargo-Mabbs and Prof Harry Sumnall and appointed as members from 1 January; Prof Anne Campbell, Mohammed Fessal, Dr Hilary Hamnett, Prof Graeme Henderson, Prof Roger Knaggs and Prof Simon Thomas re-appointed as members for three years from 1 January; Dr Carole Hunter, Dr Richard Stevenson, Prof Paul Stokes, Prof Derek Tracy and Rosalie Weetman re-appointed for one year from 1 January.
- Ministry of Justice: Criminal Cases Review Commission – Zahra Ahmed, Nicola Cockburn and Joanne Fazakerley re-appointed as commissioners for five years until 31 May 2029.
- Law Officers: Attorney General’s Office – Murray Hunt appointed as independent adviser.
- Department for Science, Innovation and Technology – Matt Clifford appointed as the prime minister’s AI opportunities adviser. Ordnance Survey – Colin Hughes appointed as chair from 9 March.
- HM Treasury – Tulip Siddiq resigned as economic secretary to the Treasury on 14 January. Emma Reynolds appointed as Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 14 January. Torsten Bell appointed as parliamentary secretary on 14 January, replacing Emma Reynolds. Tom Hayhoe appointed as Covid counter-fraud commissioner for one year. Crown Estate – Ric Lewis announced as the government’s preferred candidate for chair, subject to a pre-appointment hearing before the Treasury Select Committee.
- Wales Office: Board – Dr Rhian Hayward appointed as non-executive director from 1 February until 31 January 2028.
- Department for Work and Pensions – Torsten Bell appointed as parliamentary under-secretary of state for pensions on 14 January, replacing Emma Reynolds.
- Non-ministerial departments: Ofqual – Sir Ian Bauckham’s term as interim chief regulator extended for three months from 1 January.
Houses of Parliament
House of Commons
- Energy Security and Net Zero Committee – Mike Reader added; Julie Minns discharged.
- Joint Committee on Human Rights – Peter Swallow added; Alex Ballinger discharged.
- Petitions Committee – Paul Davies added; Kevin Bonavia discharged.
- Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee – Sam Carling added; John Grady discharged.
- Welsh Affairs Committee – Gill German and Simon Hoare added; Aphra Brandreth and Chris Evans discharged.
House of Lords
- Baroness Randerson (Lib Dem) died 4 January.
- Archbishop of Canterbury (non-affiliated) retired on 6 January.
- Lord Bates (Con) and Lord O'Shaughnessy’s (Con) leaves of absence have ended on 6 January.
- Baroness Meyer (Con) suspended from the service of the House for three weeks from 8 January.
- Lord Stone of Blackheath (non-affiliated) suspended from the service of the House for six months from 8 January.
New peerages announced on 20 December:
- Margaret Curran (Labour) raised to the peerage as Baroness Curran and Claude Moraes (Labour) raised to the peerage as Lord Moraes on 15 January and were introduced in the Lords on 16 January.
- Theresa Griffin (Labour) raised to the peerage as Baroness Griffin of Princethorpe and Phil Wilson (Labour) raised to the peerage as Lord Wilson of Sedgefield on 16 January and will be introduced in the Lords on 20 January.
Other new peers still to receive their title (party): date of introduction in the Lords
- Wendy Alexander (Labour): 13 February
- Sir Brendan Barber (Labour): 23 January
- Luciana Berger (Labour): tba
- Nigel Biggar (Conservative): 28 January
- Mary Bousted (Labour): 6 February
- Kevin Brennan (Labour): 4 February
- Lyn Brown (Labour): 27 January
- Dinah Caine (Labour): tba
- Kay Carberry (Labour): 3 February
- Joanne Cash (Conservative): 11 February
- Dame Thérèse Coffey (Conservative): 21 January
- Thangam Debbonaire (Labour): tba
- Julie Elliott (Labour): 10 February
- David Evans (Labour): 21 January
- Roger Evans (Conservative): tba
- Sue Gray (Labour): 11 February
- Anji Hunter (Labour): tba
- Carwyn Jones (Labour): 27 January
- Mike Katz (Labour): 10 February
- Gerard Lemos (Labour): 3 February
- Alison Levitt (Labour): 30 January
- Anne Longfield (Labour): tba
- Steve McCabe (Labour): tba
- Rachel Maclean (Conservative): tba
- Deborah Mattinson (Labour): tba
- Shaffaq Mohammed (Liberal Democrat): tba
- Wendy Nichols (Labour): tba
- Dr Mark Pack (Liberal Democrat): 13 February
- Simon Pitkeathley (Labour): 6 February
- Dame Anne Marie Rafferty (Labour): tba
- Krish Raval (Labour): 4 February
- Marvin Rees (Labour): tba
- Russell Rook (Labour): 23 January
- Toby Young (Conservative): 28 January
Devolved Administrations
Scottish Parliament
- Patrick Harvie (Scottish Green co-leader) to take time off due to a planned medical procedure.
- Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee – Katy Clark added; Daniel Johnson discharge.
- Public Audit Committee – Stuart McMillan added; James Dornan discharged.
- Social Justice and Social Security Committee – Mark Griffin added; Katy Clark discharged.
Scottish Government
- Lord Pentland appointed as lord president from 3 February.
- Dame Sue Bruce appointed as chair of Creative Scotland review.
- Community Justice Scotland – Henry Acres, Lorraine Gillies, Keith Rosser and Helen Wollaston appointed as members for three years from 17 February until 16 February 2028; Pauline Aylesbury re-appointed as member for three years from 1 March until 28 February 2028.
- Scottish Land Commission – Dr Lucy Beattie and Dr Calum MacLeod appointed as land commissioners for five years until 18 December 2029; Robert Black appointed as tenant farming commissioner for five years until 18 December 2029.
Welsh Parliament
- Business Committee – Paul Davies added; Darren Millar discharged.
- Children, Young People and Education Committee – Natasha Asghar and Joel James added; Gareth Davies and Tom Giffard discharged.
- Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee – Gareth Davies added; Laura Anne Jones discharged.
- Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee – Andrew RT Davies elected as chair.
- Equality and Social Justice Committee – Altaf Hussain added; Joel James discharged.
- Finance Committee – Sam Rowlands added; Peter Fox discharged.
- Future Senedd Committee – Paul Davies added; Darren Millar discharged.
- Health and Social Care Committee – James Evans added; Sam Rowlands discharged.
- Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee – Laura Anne Jones added; Natasha Asghar discharged.
- Local Government and Housing Committee – Peter Fox and Laura Anne Jones added; James Evans and Altaf Hussain discharged.
- Petitions Committee – Joel James added; Peter Fox discharged.
- Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee – Tom Giffard added; Natasha Asghar discharged.
- Reform Bill Committee – Paul Davies added; Darren Millar discharged.
Welsh Government
- Sir Dr Frank Atherton to stand down as the Welsh Government’s chief medical officer.
Northern Ireland Executive
- Belfast Health and Social Care Trust – Ellen Finlay appointed as non-executive (finance) director until 30 November 2028.
- Children’s Court Guardian Agency for Northern Ireland – Kathryn Stevenson appointed as non-executive member (legal) from 1 January until 31 December 2028.
- International Ministerial Advisory Panel on Curriculum and Assessment – Hardip Begol, Daisy Christodoulou, Christine Counsell, Harold Hislop, Nina Hood and Tim Oates appointed as members.
- Northern Health and Social Care Trust – Paul Douglas and Janet Gray appointed as non-executive (lay) directors from 1 January until 31 December 2028.
- Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority – Dr Lynn Gilmore, David Knott and Harry Wick re-appointed as members until 31 December 2026.
- Northern Health and Social Care Trust – Glenn Houston’s terms as non-executive (lay) director extended from January un 31 March.
- South-Eastern Health and Social Care Trust – Sheryl Henderson appointed as non-executive (finance) director until 30 November 2028; Siobhan McCauley and Kevin McMahon appointed as non-executive (lay) directors from 1 January until 31 December 2028.
- Southern Health and Social Care Trust – Alastair Hughes appointed as non-executive (finance) director and Geraldine Browne, Michele Corkey and Christopher Stewart appointed as non-executive (lay) directors from 1 January until 31 December 2028.
London Assembly
- Unmesh Desai suspended by the Labour Group; he is now an independent AM.
Local Authorities
- Enfield Borough Council – Ian Davis to stand down as chief executive.
- Inverclyde Council – Louise Long to stand down as chief executive from 5 May.
- Lambeth Borough Council – Ian Davis appointed as chief executive.
- Mansfield District Council – James Biddlestone appointed as chief executive.
- North Tyneside Council – Jacqueline Laughton appointed as interim chief executive.
- Rotherham Council – Sharon Kemp to stand down as chief executive in the spring.
- Rugby Borough Council – Mannie Ketley to stand down as chief executive.
- St Helens Council – Kath O’Dwyer to stand down as chief executive at the end of March.
- Wrexham Council – Alwyn Jones appointed as interim chief executive from 1 January.
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