Latest civil service & public affairs moves – April 3

New appointments in the civil service, UK politics, and public affairs, via the Dods People team

UK Government

  • Department for Business and Trade The Earl of Minto appointed as minister of state on 27 March. Gareth Johnson appointed as trade envoy to the United Arab Emirates. Laurence Robertson appointed as trade envoy to Ethiopia and re-appointed as Trade Envoy to Angola and Zambia. David Mundell  re-appointed as trade envoy to New Zealand. Heather Wheeler re-appointed as trade envoy to Cambodia and Laos.
  • Cabinet Office: Civil Service Pension Board – Alan Pickering appointed as non-executive chair for three years.
  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport: National Museums Liverpool – John Belchem, Dinah Birch, Lynn Collins, Anna Farthing and Philip Lloyd appointed as trustees for four years.
  • Ministry of Defence – Air marshal Sir Richard Knighton appointed as chief of the air staff and Aide-de-Camp to His Majesty in the rank of Air Chief Marshal from June.
  • Department for Education: Student Loans Company – Peter Lauener re-appointed as non-executive chair for three years from 1 April; Natasha Toothill appointed as non-executive director for three years from 1 April.
  • Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Nuclear Decommissioning Authority – Gwen Parry-Jones appointed as chief executive of Great British Nuclear from 1 May; Rob Fletcher appointed as interim chief executive of Magnox Ltd.
  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office John Marshall appointed as His Majesty’s ambassador to the Republic of Guinea, succeeding David McIlroy who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.
  • Department of Health and Social Care: UK Health Security Agency – Cindy Rampersaud appointed as non-executive member and chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for three years from 3 April.
  • Ministry of Justice – Adrian Usher appointed as prisons and probation ombudsman for three years from 24 April until 23 April 2026.

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons

  • Tom Goldsmith appointed as clerk of the House of Commons from October; he is currently the principal clerk of the Table Office.
  • Parliamentary Works Estimates Commission – Sharon Hodgson added; Nicholas Brown discharged.
  • Home Affairs Committee – Alison Thewliss added; Stuart C McDonald discharged.
  • Justice Committee – Tahir Ali and Stuart C McDonald added; Angela Crawley and Kate Hollern discharged.
  • Select committees related to government departments (machinery of government changes) from 26 April – Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee will become Business and Trade Committee and scrutinise the Department for Business and Trade – Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee will become Culture, Media and Sport Committee and scrutinise the Department for Culture, Media and Sport  –  Science and Technology Committee will become Science, Innovation and Technology Committee and scrutinise the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology  – International Trade Committee will be dissolved Energy Security and Net Zero Committee will be created. Nominations for the chair will close at 5pm on 24 April. If there is more than one candidate, the ballot will take place on 26 April between 11am and 2.30pm. Only members of the Scottish National Party may be candidates as their chairmanship of the dissolved International Trade Committee has been allocated to this new committee.

Parties

Scottish National Party – Humza Yousaf elected as leader on 27 March

Devolved Administrations

Scottish Parliament

  • Covid-19 Recovery Committee – Convener Siobhian Brown appointed as a minister; a new convener will be appointed in due course.
  • Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee – Convener Joe FitzPatrick appointed as a minister; a new convener will be appointed in due course.
  • Health, Social Care and Sport Committee – Convener Gillian Martin appointed as a minister; a new convener will be appointed in due course.
  • Social Justice and Social Security Committee – Convener Natalie Don appointed as a minister; a new convener will be appointed in due course.

Scottish Government

Resignations: Nicola Sturgeon resigned as first minister on 28 March. John Swinney resigned as deputy first Minister and cabinet secretary for Covid recovery on 28 March.

New Scottish government appointments: 

  • Humza Yousaf appointed as first minister; previously cabinet secretary for health and social care.
  • Elena Whitham appointed as minister for drugs and alcohol policy; previously minister for community safety.
  • Jamie Hepburn appointed as minister for independence; previously minister for higher education and further education, youth employment and training.
  • George Adam re-appointed as minister for parliamentary Business. Shona Robison appointed as deputy first minister and cabinet secretary for finance; previously cabinet secretary for social justice, housing and local government.
  • Tom Arthur re-appointed as minister for community wealth and public finance (title previously minister for public finance, planning and community wealth.
  • Joe FitzPatrick appointed as minister for local government empowerment and planning; previously convener of the Parliamentary Committee on Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice.
  • Michael Matheson appointed as cabinet Secretary for NHS recovery, health and social care; previously cabinet secretary for net zero, energy and transport.
  • Jenni Minto appointed as minister for public health and women's health.
  • Maree Todd appointed as minister for social care, mental wellbeing and sport; previously minister for public health, women's health and sport.
  • Jenny Gilruth appointed as cabinet secretary for education and skills; previously minister for transport.
  • Natalie Don appointed as minister for children, young people and keeping the promise; previously convener of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Justice and Social Security.
  • Graeme Dey appointed as minister for higher and further education and minister for veterans.
  • Màiri McAllan appointed as cabinet secretary for net zero and just transition; previously minister for environment and land reform.
  • Kevin Stewart appointed as minister for transport; previously minister for mental wellbeing and social care.
  • Lorna Slater re-appointed as minister for green skills, circular economy and biodiversity (who will also work alongside the cabinet secretary for wellbeing, economy, fair work and energy).
  • Neil Gray appointed as cabinet secretary for wellbeing economy, fair work and energy; previously minister for culture, Europe and international development and minister with special responsibility for refugees from Ukraine.
  • Richard Lochhead appointed as minister for small business, innovation and trade; previously minister for just transition, employment and fair work.
  • Gillian Martin appointed as minister for energy; previously convener of the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Social Care and Sport.
  • Lorna Slater re-appointed as minister for green skills, circular economy and biodiversity (who will also work alongside the cabinet secretary for net zero and just transition).
  • Patrick Harvie re-appointed as minister for zero carbon buildings, active travel and tenants’ rights (who will also work alongside the cabinet secretary for social justice).
  • Mairi Gougeon re-appointed as cabinet secretary for rural affairs, land reform and islands (title previously cabinet secretary for rural affairs and islands).
  • Angus Robertson re-appointed as cabinet secretary for constitution, external affairs and culture.
  • Christina McKelvie appointed as minister for culture, Europe and international development; previously minister for equalities and older people.
  • Shirley-Anne Somerville appointed as cabinet secretary for social justice; previously cabinet secretary for education and skills.
  • Emma Roddick appointed as minister for equalities, migration and refugees
  • Paul McLennan appointed as minister for housing
  • Angela Constance appointed as cabinet secretary for justice and home affairs; previously minister for drugs policy
  • Siobhian Brown appointed as minister for victims and community safety; previously convener of the Parliamentary Committee on Covid-19 recovery
  • Left the Scottish Government: Keith Brown was cabinet secretary for justice and veterans. Kate Forbes was cabinet secretary for finance and the economy. Clare Haughey was minister for children and young people. Ivan McKee was minister for business, trade, tourism and enterprise. Ben Macpherson was minister for social security and local government

Local Authorities

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  • Brighton and Hove City Council – Will Tuckley appointed as interim chief executive.

Local government changes which took place on 1 April:

  • Cumbria County Council replaced by two new unitary councils: Cumberland Council – also replaces Allerdale Borough Council, Carlisle City Council and Copeland Borough Council. Andrew Seekings is the chief executive. Westmorland and Furness Council – also replaces Barrow Borough Council, Eden District Council and South Lakeland District. Sam Plum is the chief executive.
  • North Yorkshire County Council replaced by a new unitary council: North Yorkshire Council – also replaces Craven District Council, Hambleton District Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Richmondshire District Council, Ryedale District Council, Scarborough Borough Council and Selby District Council. Richard Flinton is the chief executive.
  • Somerset County Council replaced by a new unitary council: Somerset Council – also replaces Mendip, Sedgemoor, Somerset West and Taunton and South Somerset. Duncan Sharkey is the chief executive.

Industry

If you and your organisation would like to be included in this section, then email us at editor@dodsgroup.com

Interest Groups

Ashden – Dr Ashok Sinha appointed as chief executive from June; he is currently chief executive of the London Cycling Campaign.

Cancer Research UK – Lord Stevens of Birmingham appointed as chair of council of trustees from October.

Tinnitus UK – Caroline Savage appointed as permanent chief executive; she has been interim chief executive since June 2022.

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