Latest civil service & public affairs moves – April 4

UK Government

• Prime Minister's Office – Diane Hawkins appointed as Her Majesty's lord-lieutenant of the county of Greater Manchester on 4 July, following the retirement of Sir Warren Smith. The very reverend Andrew Tremlett approved for election as dean of St Paul's Cathedral, succeeding the very reverend David Ison following his resignation. The right reverend Dr Jonathan Gibbs’ nomination for election as bishop of Rochester approved, succeeding the right reverend James Langstaff following his retirement. Professor Helen Scott appointed as regius professor of civil law at the University of Cambridge, succeeding professor David Ibbetson.
• Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – Peter Mather appointed as non-executive member to the BEIS board.
• Cabinet Office – Michael Jary appointed as government’s lead non-executive director. Equality and Human Rights Commission – Eryl Besse appointed as Wales EHRC commissioner for four years. UK Statistics Authority – Sian Jones appointed as interim chair until the government has completed its recruitment process. The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee approved the appointment of Sir Robert Chote as the new chair on 31 March following his appearance before the committee on 29 March.
• Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport – VisitBritain/VisitEngland – Patricia Yates appointed as interim chief executive. VisitEngland Advisory Board – Fiona Pollard and Allan Lambert re-appointed as members until 5 March 2026.
• Department for Education – Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education – Sir Peter Estlin and Neil Morrison appointed as members of the board for five years from 1 April.
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Environment Agency – Judith Batchelar appointed as deputy chair from 1 April to 31 March 2025. Joint Nature Conservation Committee – Catherine Denholm, Rosie Hails and Tom Meagher appointed as board members from 4 April to 3 April 2025.
• Department of Health and Social Care – NHS England and NHS Improvement – Oluwole Kolade appointed as non-executive director and deputy chair of NHS England for three years from 25 March. Sir Andrew Morris and Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed will transfer as non-executive directors from NHS Improvement to the new NHS England Board from 1 July or when it is established. Morris will also be appointed as deputy chair when he joins NHS England. Jeremy Townsend has temporarily transferred as non-executive director and chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee from NHS England to NHS Improvement from 25 March to 30 June or until the new NHS England is established. Once the new NHS England is established he will revert back to his role as non-executive director and chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee of NHS England for the remainder of his current term. Lord Darzi of Denham re-appointed as non-executive director of NHS England until 30 June or until the new NHS England is established; Lord Carter of Coles and Rakesh Kapoor re-appointed as non-executive directors of NHS Improvement until 30 June or until the new NHS England is established. NHS Blood and Transplant – Peter Wyman appointed as chair for three years from 1 April. NHS Business Services Authority – Sue Douthwaite appointed as chair for three years from 1 April. NHS Digital – Laura Wade-Gery re-appointed as chair for 12 months from 1 April or until the disestablishment date for NHS Digital. NHS Resolution – Mike Pinkerton re-appointed as interim chair from 1 April to 30 June, or until a new chair is appointed. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – Alina Lourie appointed as chair of Audit and Risk Committee from 1 April to 31 March 2025. Independent Reconfiguration Panel – Elaine Strachan-Hall appointed as member until 30 September.
• Ministry of Justice – Gov Facility Services Limited – Colin Allars appointed as chair from 1 April to 31 March 2025; Maura Sullivan re-appointed as non-executive director for three years from 1 April. 
• Law Officers – Attorney General’s Office – Sir Howard Morrison QC appointed as independent adviser to Ukrainian prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova.
• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Planning Inspectorate – Sean Canavan appointed as director of strategy; Rachel Graham appointed as chief digital and information officer; Richard Schofield appointed as head of planning inspector profession.
• Regulator of Social Housing – Bernadette Conroy confirmed as chair from 1 April, following a hearing by the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee on 21 March, which endorsed her suitability for the role.
• Northern Ireland Office – Mark Logan MP appointed as PPS to minister of state Conor Burns.
• Non-Ministerial Departments – Food Standards Agency – Margaret Gilmore, Dr Timothy Riley and Mark Rolfe re-appointed as members for three years from 18 November. HM Revenue and Customs – Andrew Pemberton appointed as permanent director of communications and head of the Communications Profession.

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons

• Education Committee – Angela Richardson added; Nicola Richards discharged.
• Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee – Darren Henry added; Brendan Clarke-Smith discharged.

House of Lords

• Lord Stevens of Ludgate (Conservative Independent) was granted a leave of absence on 30 March.
• Viscount Camrose (Conservative) was announced as a new hereditary peer on 30 March.
• Lord Tebbit (Conservative) retired from the House of Lords on 31 March.
• Constitution Committee – Lord Howard of Lympne and Lord Thomas of Gresford added; Baroness Doocey and Lord King of Bridgwater discharged.

Devolved Administrations

Scottish Parliament

• Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee – Fergus Ewing added; Ruth Maguire discharged.
• Education, Children and Young People Committee – Graeme Dey and Ruth Maguire added; James Dornan and Fergus Ewing discharged.
• Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee – Marie McNair and Annie Wells added; Graeme Dey and Meghan Gallacher discharged.
• Social Justice and Social Security Committee – Paul McLennan added; Marie McNair discharged.

Welsh Parliament

• Standards of Conduct Committee – Natasha Asghar and Peredur Owen Griffiths added; Andrew RT Davies and Heledd Fychan discharged.

Welsh Government

• Economic Ministerial Advisory Board – Professor Andrew Campbell appointed as chair; Andrea Wayman appointed as deputy chair; Emily Cotteril, James Davies, David D'Souza, Miatta Fahnbulleh, Ifan Peredur Morgan, Helen Swift and Professor Sir Adrian Webb appointed as board members.
• Citizen Voice Body for Health and Social Care, Wales – Professor Medwin Hughes appointed as chair for four years until 31 March 2026.

Northern Ireland Assembly

• Northern Ireland Assembly is now dissolved. Elections to the Assembly will take place on Thursday 5 May.

Northern Ireland Executive

• Office for Environmental Protection – Malcolm Beatty OBE appointed as Northern Ireland non-executive member for five years from 1 April.
• Ofcom – Karen Baxter appointed as the first board member for Northern Ireland.
• Northern Ireland Screen – Michael Fanning, Richard Hanna, Róise Ní Bhaoill and Susan Picken re-appointed to the board for three years from 1 July.
• Labour Relations Agency – John Taylor appointed as member of the board until 31 January 2025.

Local Authorities

• Hastings Borough Council – Kim Forward (Lab) to step down as council leader.
• Malvern Hills District Council – Sarah Rouse (Ind) has resigned as council leader.
• Swale Council – Roger Truelove is to stand down as council leader on 27 April.

Industry

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Interest Groups

• The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – Amanda Berry OBE appointed as chief executive from June.
• Tommy’s – Kath Abrahams appointed as chief executive.
• Young Scot – Kirsten Urquhart appointed as chief executive.

Trade Associations

Make UK – Lord Hutton of Furness appointed as Chair.

Trade Unions

Educational Institute of Scotland – Larry Flanagan to stand down as general secretary during the summer; he will continue in his role as president of the European Trade Union Committee for Education.