Latest civil service & public affairs moves – February 14

Government departments

• Prime Minister's Office – Guto Harri appointed as director of communications. Samantha Jones appointed as interim permanent secretary and chief operating officer on 10 Downing Street.
• Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Financial Reporting Council – Sir Jan du Plessis appointed as chair; Angela Cha, Sir Ashley Fox, Clare Thompson and David Willis appointed as Non-executive directors to the board.
• Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Historic Royal Palaces – Professor Michael Wood OBE reappointed as a trustee for three years from 11 March to 10 March 2025.
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Andrew Patrick appointed as the UK's migration and modern slavery envoy.
• Government Legal Department – Jessica de Mounteney appointed director general, leading the litigation with justice and security directorate.
• HM Treasury: Financial Conduct Authority – Richard Lloyd appointed as interim chair from 1 June; Aidene Walsh appointed as interim chair of the payment systems regulator from 1 April.

Cabinet reshuffle

• Prime Minister’s Office – Steve Barclay appointed as chief of staff to the prime minister and continues as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. James Duddridge, Joy Morrissey and Lia Nici appointed as parliamentary private secretaries to the Prime Minister.
• Cabinet Office – Michael Ellis appointed as minister for the Cabinet Office, replacing Steve Barclay, and continues as paymaster general. Jacob Rees-Mogg appointed as minister for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency. Heather Wheeler appointed as parliamentary secretary and continues as an assistant government whip.
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – James Cleverly appointed as minister of state for Europe, replacing Chris Heaton-Harris. A minister for Middle East, North Africa and North America, replacing James Cleverly, has not yet been announced.
• Leader of the House of Commons – Mark Spencer appointed as leader of the House of Commons and lord president, replacing Jacob Rees-Mogg.
• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities – Stuart Andrew appointed as minister of state for housing, replacing Christopher Pincher.
• Department for Transport – Wendy Morton appointed as minister of state, previously Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the department.
• Commons Whips – Chris Heaton-Harris appointed chief whip, parliamentary secretary to the Treasury, replacing Mark Spencer. Christopher Pincher appointed as deputy chief whip, treasurer of HM household, replacing Stuart Andrew. Gareth Johnson appointed as whip, lord commissioner of HM Treasury, replacing Craig Whittaker who has left government. Sarah Dines appointed as assistant whip, replacing Gareth Johnson.

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons

• Environmental Audit Committee – Clive Lewis added; Nadia Whittome discharged.
• Home Affairs Committee – Paula Barker added.
• Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee – Kate Hollern added; Rachel Hopkins discharged.
• Public Accounts Committee – Kate Green added; Barry Gardiner discharged.
• Women And Equalities Committee – Carolyn Harris added; Alex Davies-Jones discharged.
• Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament – Maria Eagle and Jeremy Wright added; Diana Johnson and Mark Pritchard discharged.

House of Lords

• Bishop of Winchester (Non-affiliated) retired from the House of Lords on 6 February.
• Lord Strathcarron was elected as a Conservative hereditary peer on 9 February.
• Lord Fellowes (Crossbench, life peer) retired from the House of Lords on 10 February.

Political parties

Labour

• Neil Coyle MP – Labour whip suspended pending an investigation. Vidhya Alakeson appointed as director of external relations to leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer, from March.

Devolved administrations

Northern Ireland Executive

• Department of Finance – Neil Gibson appointed as permanent secretary.
• Department for Communities – Colum Boyle appointed as permanent secretary, returning to the department following his temporary promotion to permanent secretary of the Department of Finance.
• Belfast Health and Social Care Trust – Peter McNaney’s term as non-executive chair extended until 2 December; Professor Carmel Hughes appointed as non-executive (QUB representative) director until 31 December 2025.
• Civil Legal Services Appeal Panels – Seamus McIlroy appointed as presiding member; Maeve Holland and Maria Mullally appointed as ordinary members. The appointments are effective from 24 January.
• Labour Relations Agency – John Taylor has been appointed as member of the board from 1 February to 31 January 2025.
• Northern Ireland Screen – Sir David Sterling appointed as chair, succeeding Dame Rotha Johnston CBE from 1 February.
• Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust – Oliver Wilkinson and Dr Carol Ackah re-appointed as board members until 31 August.

Local authorities

• Oxfordshire County Council – Stephen Chandler appointed as interim chief executive.
• Cumbria County Council – John Metcalfe appointed as chief executive, leaving the Isle of White Council.
• North Norfolk District Council – Tim Adams (Liberal Democrat) appointed as leader of the council.

Industry

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Interest groups

• Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee – Janet Morrison OBE appointed as chief executive from 1 March.
• Power to Change – Vidhya Alakeson to stand down as chief executive in March.

Professional bodies

• Chartered Institute of Environmental Health – Janet Russell OBE appointed as vice-president.

Trade associations

• Investment Association – Karen Northey appointed as director of corporate affairs from March.