Latest civil service & public affairs moves – 21 March to 7 April

UK government

• Prime Minister's Office – Oli de Botton appointed as the prime minister’s expert adviser on education and skills
• Department for Business and Trade: Regulatory Policy Committee – John Davies, Hilary Jennings, Allan Little, Caroline Turnbull-Hall and Frances Warburton appointed as members for three years from 1 April
• Cabinet Office: Advisory Committee on Business Appointments – Isabel Doverty appointed as interim chair from 1 April until 31 December. Committee on Standards in Public Life – Baroness Finn resigned as member on 26 March.
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport: British Museum – Lord Finkelstein, Tom Holland, Tiffany Jenkins, Martha Kearney and Claudia Winkleman as trustees for four years. Tate – Nick Clarry, Sir Isaac Julien, Jack Kirkland and June Sarpong appointed as trustees for four years; Tim Richards appointed as trustee for four years from 23 June. Victoria and Albert Museum – Mariella Frostrup, Andrew Keith, Vick Hope, Akshata Murty, Nigel Newton and Pedro Pina appointed as trustees for four years.
• Department for Education: Office for Students – Professor Edward Peck appointed as chair for four years from 7 July
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Consumer Council for Water – Bev Keogh and Rachel Onikosi re-appointed as member for four years from 1 June. Natural England – Tony Juniper re-appointed as chair for two years from 23 April until 22 April 2027; Clare Fitzsimmons re-appointed as board member for three years until 11 March 2028.
• Department of Health and Social Care: Care Quality Commission – Professor Sir Mike Richards appointed as chair for four years from 1 April. NHS England – Sir Andrew Morris’s term as non-executive director extended from 25 March until 24 September.
• Home Office – Diana Johnson’s role no longer includes fire; now covered by Alex Norris in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; her new role title: minister for policing and crime reduction (previously minister for policing, fire and crime reduction). Immigration Advice Authority – Susan Giles and Mike Venables appointed as non-executive directors and members of the audit and risk assurance committee for three years; Eni Bankole-Rice, Caroline Hattersley and Stephen McMahon appointed as non-executive directors and member of the advisory board for three years; Julie Parker appointed as non-executive director and member of the audit and risk assurance committee and advisory board for three years. Security Industry Authority – Stephen Grainger and Hannah Wadey appointed as non-executive directors from 24 March.
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – Alex Norris MP’s role now includes fire; previously covered by Diana Johnson in the Home Office; his new role title: parliamentary under-secretary of state for building safety, fire and local growth (previously parliamentary under-secretary of state for local growth and building safety). Homes England – Pat Ritchie appointed as interim chair. Thurrock Council – Denise Murray appointed as the finance commissioner until 1 September.
• Privy Council Office – Ellie Reeves appointed as privy counsellor on 2 April
• Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Innovate UK – Tom Adeyoola announced as preferred candidate for executive chair, subject to a pre-appointment scrutiny from the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee on 8 April
• Department for Transport – Kevin Rooney appointed as senior traffic commissioner from 1 June
• Department for Work and Pensions: Industrial Injuries Advisory Council – Professor Gillian Leng appointed as chair for five years from 1 April
• Non-ministerial departments: Charity Commission – Mark Simms appointed as interim chair for six months from 25 April.

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons

• Runcorn and Helsby by-election will take place on 1 May
• Administration Committee – Bambos Charalambous added; Gill Furniss discharged
• Finance Committee – Paul Davies added; Matt Bishop discharged
• International Development Committee – Tracy Gilbert added; Laura Kyrke-Smith discharged
• Committee of Privileges – Gill Furniss added; Melanie Onn discharged
• Committee on Standards – Gill Furniss added; Melanie Onn discharged.

House of Lords

• Baroness Howarth of Breckland (crossbench) died on 23 March
• Lord Carter of Barnes (non-affiliated) retired from the Lords on 28 March
• Viscount Craigavon (crossbench, hereditary peer,) died on 31 March.

Parties

Alba Party

• Kenny MacAskill elected as leader on 26 March; Neale Hanvey elected as deputy leader.

Scottish Greens

• Patrick Harvie to step down as co-leader during the summer.

Devolved Administrations

Scottish Parliament

• Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, died on 27 March. A by-election will take place in the constituency in due course
• Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, resigned from the Conservative group on 3 April, he now sits as an independent
• Education, Children and Young People Committee – Keith Brown discharged.
• Paul McFadden nominated as Scottish public services ombudsman.

Scottish Government

• Creative Scotland Review – Angela Leitch appointed as chair; Stuart Currie appointed as vice-chair
• NHS Education for Scotland Board – Shona Cowan re-appointed as member for four years from 1 September until 31 August 2029
• Scottish Commission on Social Security Board – Judith Paterson re-appointed as member for one year from 23 January 2026 until 22 January 2027
• Scottish Funding Council – Cara Aitchison and Lorna Jack appointed as interim co-chairs from 2 April until 31 October
• Scottish Police Authority – Fiona McQueen appointed as chair for four years from 7 April until 6 April 2029
• Water Industry Commission for Scotland Board – Ronnie Hinds’ term as interim chair extended for five months from 15 July until 31 December.

Welsh Government

• Design Commission for Wales – Zaynub Akbar, Barney Evans, Simon Jones and Simon Power appointed as board members from 1 April; Mike Biddulph, Jon James, Cora Kwiatkowski and Joanne Rees re-appointed as board members for four years.

Northern Ireland Executive

• Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Departmental Board – Michael Johnston appointed as non-executive board member from 1 April
• Belfast Harbour Commissioners – Mel Chittock, Peter McNaney, Sharon O’Connor, Eamon O’Reilly and Michael Wardlow appointed as non-executive members to the board for four years from 1 April until; Rachael Ferguson appointed as non-executive member to the board for four years from 1 June; Noel Lavery, Gerard McGinn and Malcolm McKibbin re-appointed as non-executive members to the board for our years from 1 April.
• Education Authority – Catherine Chambers, Ray Gilbert, Maurice Johnston, Marie Lindsay, Gillian McGrath, Garry Matthewson, Leo O’Reilly, Trevor Robinson, Arthur Scott, Edith Shaw, Eilís Uí Néill and John Wilkinson appointed as members to the board from 1 April until 31 March 2029.
• Forest Service Board – Shireen Chambers and Maynard Mawhinney appointed non-executive board member from 1 April
• Labour Relations Agency – John Taylor re-appointed as board member until 31 January 2028
• Northern Health and Social Care Trust – Paul Turley appointed as non-executive lay director until 31 March 2029
• Northern Ireland Environment Agency – Veronica Morris appointed as non-executive board member from 1 April
• St Mary’s University College Belfast – Laura Leonard, Christine Magill, Garry Matthewson and Dáithí Murray appointed as members to the governing body for five years.

Local Authorities

• Bridgend County Borough Council – Jake Morgan appointed as chief executive
• Dorset Council – Dr Catherine Howe appointed as chief executive, subject to approval by Full Council on 10 April. She is currently chief executive of Adur and Worthing Councils and will stand down from that role in July if approved.
• Inverclyde Council – Stuart Jamieson appointed as chief executive from 5 May
• Luton Council – Mark Fowler appointed as interim chief executive from 4 April.

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