Latest civil service & public affairs moves – February 17

UK government

• Department for Business and Trade: Insolvency Service – Dean Beale to stand down as chief executive in May.
• Cabinet Office – Douglas Alexander appointed as a minister of state on 10 February (and continues as minister of state in the Department for Business and Trade).
• Ministry of Defence: Royal Hospital Chelsea – Professor Martin Green re-appointed as specially appointed commissioner for three years until 31 January 2028.
• Department for Education: LocatED – David Hunter and Simon Holden appointed as board members for three years from 1 April. Skills England – Phil Smith appointed as chair; Sir David Bell appointed as vice-chair; Tessa Griffiths and Sarah Maclean appointed as joint chief executives; Gemma Marsh appointed as deputy chief executive.
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – Professor Ian Graham re-appointed as board member for three years from 1 May until 30 April 2028. Science Advisory Council – Professor Nicola Beaumont, Professor Camille Bonneaud, Professor Chris Hauton and Professor Jane Hill appointed as members for three years from 10 February.
• Department of Health and Social Care – Andrew Gwynne sacked as parliamentary under-secretary of state for public health and prevention on 8 February. Ashley Dalton appointed as parliamentary under-secretary of state on February. NHS England – Penny Dash named as the government’s preferred candidate as chair, subject to s pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with the Health and Social Care Select Committee.
• Home Office: Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs – Professor Karen Ersche, Professor Sunjeev Kamboj, Dr Lorna Nisbet and Jon Privett appointed as members.
• HM Treasury: UK Debt Management Office – Dame Sue Owen re-appointed as non-executive chair for three years.

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons

• Andrew Gwynne, MP for Gorton and Denton, had the Labour whip suspended on 8 February.
• Oliver Ryan, MP for Burnley, had the Labour whip suspended on 10 February.
• Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology Board – Dr Lauren Sullivan appointed as chair.

House of Lords

• Lord Elis-Thomas (Non-affiliated) died on 7 February.
• Thangam Debbonaire (Lab) raised to the peerage as Baroness Debbonaire and Steve McCabe (Lab) raised to the peerage as Lord McCabe on 7 February and will be introduced in the Lords on 10 March.
• Anne Marie (Lab) raised to the peerage as Baroness Rafferty on 10 February and will be introduced in the Lords on 3 March.
• Lord Moraes and Lord Wilson of Sedgefield appointed as government whips (Lords in waiting) on 10 February.
• Margaret Obi appointed as House of Lords commissioner for standards for five years.

Devolved Administrations

Scottish Government

• Lothian NHS Board – Elizabeth Gordon, Peter Knight and Val de Souza re-appointed as members for four years from 1 April until 31 March 2029; George Gordon re-appointed as member from 16 May until 31 December 2026.

Northern Ireland Assembly

• Aoife Finnegan (Sinn Féin) co-opted as MLA for Newry and Armagh on 10 February.
• Audit Committee – Jemma Dolan added; Ciara Ferguson discharged.
• Assembly and executive Review Committee – Sinéad Ennis and Carál Ní Chuilín added; Áine Murphy discharged.
• Economy Committee – Emma Sheerin added; Philip McGuigan discharged.
• Executive Committee – Áine Murphy added; Emma Sheerin discharged.
• Finance Committee – Jemma Dolan added; Nicola Brogan discharged.
• Infrastructure Committee – Nicola Brogan added; Danny Baker discharged.
• Justice Committee – Danny Baker added; Jemma Dolan discharged.
• Standards and Privileges Committee – Declan McAleer added.

Northern Ireland executive

• Department of Health – Mike Farrar appointed as interim permanent secretary from April.
• Historic Buildings Council – Joseph Birt appointed as chair until 31 January 2028.
• Sport NI Board – Gavin Boyd appointed as chair from 10 February until 9 February 2029.
• Warrenpoint Harbour Authority – Dr Gerard O’Hare re-appointed as chair of the board for four years.

Local Authorities

• Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council – Graham Farrant to retire as chief executive from end of August.
• Lancashire County Council – Mark Wynn appointed as permanent chief executive.

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