Latest civil service & public affairs moves – December 5

UK Government

• Prime Minister's Office – The Reverend Paul Thomas appointed as Suffragan Bishop of Oswestry.
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Animal Health and Welfare Board for England – Julia Wrathall appointed as non-executive director for three years from 1 December.
• Ministry of Justice – Judicial Appointments Commission – Helen Pitcher selected as preferred candidate to be chair. The role is subject to pre-appointment hearing by the Justice Select Committee.
• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities –  Planning Inspectorate – Paul Morrison appointed as chief executive from 14 December. Interim chief executive Navees Rahman will depart the Inspectorate in the spring 2023 to take on the role of chief finance and resources officer at Arts Council, England.
• Department for Work and Pensions –  Disability Unit – Craig Crowley MBE appointed as Co-chair of the BSL Advisory Board. A senior civil servant will serve as the other Co-chair.

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons

• City of Chester by-election result – Samantha Dixon held the seat for Labour with a majority of 10,974.
• Rosie Cooper was appointed as the Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern on 1 December. A by-election to elect a new MP for West Lancashire will take place in due course.

Committee membership

• Committees on Arms Export Controls – Liam Byrne and Theo Clarke discharged.
• Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee – Ian Lavery added; Tonia Antoniazzi discharged.
• Education Committee – Nick Fletcher added; Angela Richardson discharged.
• Foreign Affairs Committee – Saqib Bhatti added.
• Health and Social Care Committee – Paul Bristow added; Luke Evans discharged.
• Justice Committee – Janet Daby and Edward Timpson added; Diane Abbott and Laura Farris discharged.
• Human Rights Joint Committee – Bell Ribeiro-Addy added; Florence Eshalomi discharged.
• Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee – Nadia Whittome added; Florence Eshalomi discharged.
• Northern Ireland Affairs Committee – Tony Lloyd added; Stephanie Peacock discharged.
• Public Accounts Committee – James Wild discharged.
• Science and Technology Committee – Christian Wakeford added; Zarah Sultana discharged.
• Women and Equalities Committee – Mark Jenkinson and Jamie Wallis added; Theo Clark and Philip Davies discharged.

House of Lords

• Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen was sitting as a Conservative peer, now is non-affiliated, having been appointed as a Queen's Companion.

All-Party Groups added to 30 November Register

• Abraham Accords
• Aviation
• Battlefields and Commonwealth War Graves
• Bowel Cancer
• Child of the North
• Children's Parliament
• Coeliac Disease
• Hazaras
• Public Accountability

Parties

Scottish National Party

• Ian Blackford MP to stand down as leader of the SNP group at Westminster at the party's annual general meeting next week.

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.

• Ashford Borough Council – Gerry Clarkson to stand down as council leader at the May 2023 local election.
• Highland Council – Donna Manson to resign as chief executive in February 2023 to join Devon County Council.
• Oxfordshire County Council – Dr Martin Reeves appointed as chief executive, subject to formal ratification at the next full council meeting. He will join from Coventry City Council where he is currently chief executive.
• Rushcliffe Borough Council – Simon Robinson to stand down as council leader before the May 2023 local election.
• Waltham Forest Council – Martin Esom to retire as chief executive at the end of 2023.
• Worcester City Council – Chris Mitchell appointed as council leader, replacing Marc Bayliss who stepped down to become deputy police and crime commissioner for West Mercia.

Industry

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

Interest Groups

• Education and Training Foundation – Katerina Kolyva appointed as chief executive from February 2023.
• Mermaids – Susie Green has left as chief executive after six years in charge; an interim chief executive will be appointed shortly. 
• Prostate Cancer UK – Doris Olulode appointed as chair of trustees.