Latest civil service & public affairs moves – April 1

 

Government reshuffle

• Robert Halfon resigned as minister of state for skills, apprenticeships and higher education in the Department for Education on 26 March; Luke Hall appointed as a minister of state on 27 March, previously deputy chairman of the Conservative and Unionist Party. 
• James Heappey resigned as minister of state for armed forces in the Ministry of Defence on 26 March; Leo Docherty appointed as minister of state for armed forces on 27 March, previously parliamentary under-secretary of state for Europe. 
• Nusrat Ghani appointed as minister of state for Europe on 27 March, previously minister of state for industry and economic security in the Department for Business and Trade and minister of state for the investment security unit in the Cabinet Office 
• Kevin Hollinrake promoted to minister of state in the Department for Business and Trade on 27 March, previously parliamentary under-secretary of state for enterprise, markets and small business. 
• Alan Mak appointed as parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Department for Business and Trade and parliamentary secretary in the Cabinet Office. 

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons 

• Scott Benton appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead on 25 March. A by-election will take place to elect a new MP for Blackpool South on 2 May. 
• Roger Gale reappointed as deputy speaker until 23 July. 
• Rebecca Hilsenrath to be appointed as acting parliamentary commissioner for administration and acting health service commissioner for England. 

House of Lords 

• Lord Goodman of Wycombe (Con, life peer) will be introduced in the Lords on 23 April. 

UK government

• Prime Minister's Office – The Reverend Dr Joseph Kennedy appointed as Bishop of Burnley, succeeding The Right Reverend Philip North, following his translation to the See of Blackburn. 
• Cabinet Office: Office of Government Property – Saurabh Bhandari appointed as director, property delivery and transformation from May. 
• Ministry of Defence: Independent Medical Expert Group – Neil Pearce appointed as member for three years until 28 February 2027. 
• Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: UK Atomic Energy Authority – Bernard Taylor CVO CBE appointed as vhair from 29 April until 28 April 2028. 
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Covent Garden Market Authority – Wanda Goldwag appointed as chair for four years from 2 April. 
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Nathaniel Copsey appointed as His Majesty’s zmbassador to the Republic of Bulgaria from August, succeeding Dr Rob Dixon. 
• Department of Health and Social Care: Independent Reconfiguration Panel – Ann Lloyd, Angela McNab, David Stout and Andrea Young appointed as members for four years until 17 March 2028; Elaine Strachan-Hall reappointed as member for four years; Professor Simon Brake, Rajesh Khanna and Dr Suzy Walton reappointed for two years and seven months from 1 June; Luke March and Rohan Sivanandan reappointed for one year and four months from 1 June. 
• Ministry of Justice: HM Courts & Tribunals Service – Luisa Fulci appointed to the board from 1 April. 
• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Office for Local Government – Lord Morse steps down as interim chair. 

Political parties

Conservatives 

• Jonathan Gullis MP and Angela Richardson MP appointed as deputy chairmen. 

Labour 

• Sarah Edwards MP appointed as PPS to Steve Reed as shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs. 
• Damien Egan MP appointed as PPS to Bridget Phillipson as shadow secretary of state for education. 
• Gen Kitchen MP appointed as PPS to Yvette Cooper as shadow home secretary. 
• Kim Leadbeater MP appointed as PPS to Wes Streeting as shadow secretary of state for health and social care. 
• Keir Mather MP appointed as opposition whip. 

Devolved administrations

Northern Ireland Assembly 

• Audit Committee – Diane Forsythe added as deputy chair; Keith Buchanan discharged. 

Northern Ireland Executive 

• Department of Justice – Hugh Widdis appointed as permanent secretary from April, replacing Richard Pengelly. 
• Business Services Organisation – Linus McLaughlin appointed as non-executive lay member for four years until 29 February 2028. 
• Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Foundation – Micheal Davidson re-appointed as trustee until 28 February 2029. 

Local authorities

Interested in an updated contact list of local government leaders – get in contact with your Dods account manager or customer services for more details. 

• Glasgow City Council – Susanne Millar appointed as chief executive. 
• Gloucester City Council – Richard Cook to stand down as council leader in May. 
• Moray Council – John Mundell appointed as interim chief executive from early May. 
• Slough Borough Council – Will Tuckley appointed as interim chief executive from 15 April. 
• Surrey County Council – Leigh Whitehouse to stand down as interim chief executive. 
• West Sussex County Council – Leigh Whitehouse appointed as chief executive. 

Industry

Interest Groups 

• Breast Cancer Now – Claire Rowney appointed as chief executive from 28 June. 
• Kaleidoscope Trust – Alex Farrow appointed as chief executive from early June. 
• Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales – Matt Hyde appointed as chief executive from 17 September; James Phillips appointed as interim chief executive from 6 June until 16 September.