Latest civil service and public affairs moves – December 11

UK Government

• Prime minister's Office – Professor Veronica Pickering appointed as His Majesty’s lord-lieutenant for the County of Nottinghamshire from 2 March 2024, succeeding Sir John Peace who is retiring.
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport – Professor Tom Crick appointed as chief scientific adviser, succeeding Professor Tom Rodden. BBC – Samir Shah announced as the government’s preferred candidate for chair, subject to pre-appointment scrutiny from the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee. National Heritage Memorial Fund – Simon Thurley re-appointed as chair for four years from 31 March 2024 until 20 March 2027; Mukesh Sharma re-appointed as Northern Ireland trustee for four years from 31 August 2024 until 30 August 2027. National Portrait Gallery – Mark Cecil and Chris Grayling appointed as trustees for four years from 11 May 2024 until 10 May 2028. Science Museum Group – Sir Tim Lawrence appointed as chair for four years from 1 January 2024.
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Robbie Douglas-Miller appointed as parliamentary under-secretary of state for biosecurity, animal health and welfare on 1 December. He will receive a life peerage in due course.
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Alexandra McKenzie appointed as British high commissioner to Brunei Darussalam from August 2024, succeeding John Virgoe.
• Department of Health and Social Care: Human Tissue Authority – Mhairi Anderson, David Lock and Jessica Watts appointed as members for three years from 1 December.
• Home Office – Robert Jenrick resigned as minister of state for immigration on 6 December. Michael Tomlinson appointed as minister of state for illegal migration on 7 December. Tom Pursglove appointed as minister of state for legal migration and Delivery 7 December. Tony Eastaugh appointed as biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner.
• Ministry of Justice – Matrin Jones announced as preferred candidate for His Majesty’s chief inspector of probation, subject to a pre-appointment hearing by the Justice Select Committee. HM Prisons and Probation Service – Jonathan Flory appointed as non-executive director. Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody – Seena Fazel appointed as member for three years. Sentencing Council for England and Wales – Rob Nixon appointed as a non-judicial member for 3 years. Law Officers – Robert Courts appointed as solicitor general on 7 December, replacing Michael Tomlinson who was appointed as a minister in the Home Office.
• HM Treasury: Government Internal Audit Agency – Harriet Aldridge appointed as chief executive.
• Department for Work and Pensions – Tom Pursglove appointed as a minister in the Home Office; his replacement as minister of state for disabled people, health and work is still to be announced. Office for Nuclear Regulation – Dame Judith Hackitt appointed as interim chair from 1 January 2024.

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons

• Defence Committee – Robert Courts to resign as chair, following his ministerial appointment. An election for a new chair will take place in due course.
• Holocaust Memorial Bill Select Committee – Karl Turner added; Ben Bradshaw discharged.
• Joint Committee on Human Rights – Jill Mortimer added; Angela Richardson discharged.
• Justice Committee – Rachel Hopkins added; Janet Daby discharged.
• Liaison Committee – Robert Courts discharged.
• Committee of Privileges – Philip Dunne and Michael Ellis added; Andy Carter and Charles Walker discharged.
• Procedure Committee – Samantha Dixon added; Angela Eagle discharged.
• Committee on Standards – Philip Dunne and Michael Ellis added; Andy Carter and Charles Walker discharged.
• House of Commons members’ Fund – Marcus Jones and Holly Lynch appointed as trustees; Nick Brown discharged.

House of Lords

• Robbie Douglas-Miller to be appointed as a Conservative life peer.
• Lord Roborough appointed as lord-in-waiting (government whip) on 1 December.
• Baroness Barran appointed as government equalities spokesperson in the Lords on 1 December.
• Lord Carter of Haslemere (Crossbench, life peer) was introduced in the Lords on 4 December.
• Lord Cooper of Windrush (non-affiliated, life peer) granted a leave of absence on 6 December.

Parties

Scottish National Party

• Michael Russell resigned as president.

Devolved Administrations

Welsh Government

Social Partnership Council – Ruth Brady, Neil Butler, Peter Hughes, Gareth Lloyd, Shavanah Taj, Jess Turner, Mike Walker, Helen Whyley and Darren Williams appointed as members (worker representatives) for three years from 1 December; Pippa Britton, Dame Elan Closs-Stephens, Ben Cottam, Anthony Hunt, Professor Wendy Larner, Ian Price, Nicola Prygodzicz, Janis Richards and Kathryn Robson appointed as members (employer representatives) for three years from 1 December.

Northern Ireland Executive

• Maynard Mawhinney appointed as independent chair of a working group to review the roles and responsibilities of councillors in Northern Ireland, for six months from 1 December.
• Invest Northern Ireland – Colm McKenna’s term as interim chair to the board extended for four months until 31 March 2024.
• Northern Ireland Water – Maurice Bullick, Patrick Larkin, Marie-Thérèse McGivern and Belinda Oldfield re-appointed as board members; Peter McNaney’s term as board member extended until 31 March 2024.

Local Authorities

• North Northamptonshire Council – Adele Wylie appointed as chief executive.
• Powys County Council – Emma Palmer appointed as chief executive.

Industry

Interest Groups

• Childline – Dame Esther Rantzen stood down as president; Rebecca Wilcox appointed as president.
• Nationwide Foundation – Kate Markey appointed as chief executive from early 2024.
• Oxfam GB – Halima Begum appointed as chief executive; Begum will leave her current role as chief executive of ActionAid UK to take up the role in 2024; Aleema Shivji appointed as interim chief executive until Begum is in post.
• War Child UK – Helen Pattinson appointed as chief executive from 1 January 2024, replacing Rob Williams who has been appointed as chief executive of newly formed War Child Alliance from 1 January 2024.

Need to contact civil servants and politicians? Find out more about Dods Political Intelligence