Latest civil service & public affairs moves – February 6

UK government

• Cabinet Office – Nadhim Zahawi sacked as minister without portfolio on 29 January.
• Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Natural History Museum – Dame Jane Francis appointed as Royal Society trustee for four years from 1 February.
• Treasure Valuation Committee – Gail Boyle re-appointed as member from 30 March until 29 March 2026.
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Neil Holland appointed as head of the United Kingdom’s Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) from April, succeeding Neil Bush who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.
• Department of Health and Social Care Health: watch England Committee – Belinda Black's term as interim chair extended from 1 February until 31 March.
• Department for Work and Pensions: Social Security Advisory Committee – Phil Jones re-appointed as Member from 1 February until 31 July 2024.
• Non-Ministerial Departments: Competition and Markets Authority – Marion King appointed as chair and trustee of the Open Banking Implementation Entity from 1 February.

Houses of Parliament

House of Lords

• Baroness Shields’ leave of absence ended on 27 January.
• Lord Barwell granted a leave of absence on 1 February.
• Dr Christopher Johnson appointed as reading clerk and clerk of the journals.
• Jake Vaughan appointed as clerk of committees.

Committees:

• NEW: AI in Weapon Systems – Lord Lisvane appointed as chair; Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent, Lord Browne of Ladyton, Viscount Camrose, Lord Clement-Jones, Bishop of Coventry, Baroness Doocey, Lord Fairfax of Cameron, Lord Grocott, Lord Hamilton of Epsom, Baroness Hodgson of Abinger, Lord Houghton of Richmond and Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean added.
• NEW: Education for 11- to 16-Year-Olds – Lord Johnson of Marylebone appointed as  chair; Lord Aberdare, Lord Baker of Dorking, Baroness Blower, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, Baroness Garden of Frognal, Lord Lexden, Lord Mair, Baroness Massey of Darwen, Lord Knight of Weymouth, Lord Storey and Lord Watson of Invergowrie added.
• NEW: Horticultural Sector – Lord Redesdale appointed as chair; Earl of Arran, Baroness Buscombe, Lord Carter of Coles, Lord Colgrain, Lord Curry of Kirkharle, Baroness Fookes, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, Lord Sahota, Baroness Walmsley and Baroness Willis of Summertown added.
• NEW: Integration of Primary and Community Care – Baroness Pitkeathley appointed as chair; Lord Altrincham, Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top, Baroness Barker, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Lord Kakkar, Baroness Osamor, Baroness Redfern, Baroness Shephard of Northwold, Baroness Tyler of Enfield, Lord Watts, and Baroness Wyld added.
• Built Environment – Lord Faulkner of Worcester, Lord Goddard of Stockport, Lord Greenhalgh and Lord Mawson added; Baroness Bakewell, Lord Grocott, Lord Haselhurst, Earl of Lytton and Lord Stunell discharged.
• Communications and Digital – Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie, Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill, Lord Kamall, Lord Bishop of Leeds and Baroness Wheatcroft added; Baroness Bull, Baroness Rebuck, Lord Vaizey of Didcot and Lord Bishop of Worcester discharged.
• Conduct – Baroness Mallalieu and Lord Scriven added; Baroness Donaghy and Baroness Hussein-Ece discharged.
• Constitution – Lord Anderson of Ipswich, Baroness Andrews, Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, Lord Keen of Elie, Lord Mancroft and Lord Strathclyde added; Lord Faulks, Baroness Fookes, Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield, Lord Howarth of Newport, Lord Howell of Guildford, Lord Robertson of Port Ellen and Lord Sherbourne of Didsbury discharged.
• Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform – Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville, Lord Carlile of Berriew, Lord Goodlad, Baroness Humphreys and Earl of Lindsay added; Baroness Browning, Lord Goddard of Stockport, Lord Haselhurst, Baroness Meacher and Lord Tope discharged.
• Economic Affairs – Lord Blackwell, Lord Davies of Brixton, Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke, Lord Londesborough, Lord Turnbull and Lord Verjee added; Viscount Chandos, Lord Fox, Lord Livingston of Parkhead, Lord Monks, Lord Skidelsky and Lord Stern of Brentford discharged.
• Environment and Climate Change – Baroness Bray of Coln, Lord Bruce of Bennachie, Lord Duncan of Springbank and Baroness Jones of Whitchurch added; Lord Browne of Ladyton, Baroness Chalker of Wallasey, Lord Colgrain and Baroness Northover discharged.
• European Affairs – Lord Adonis, Baroness Anelay of St Johns, Baroness Blackstone, Baroness Ludford and Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne added; Lord Faulkner of Worcester, Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, Lord Purvis of Tweed and Lord Tugendhat discharged.
• Finance – Lord Reay added; Baroness Noakes discharged.
• Human Rights Joint Committee – Lord Alton of Liverpool, Lord Dholakia, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon and Baroness Meyer added; Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen, Lord Dubs, Baroness Ludford, Baroness Massey of Darwen and Lord Singh of Wimbledon discharged.
• Industry and Regulators – Viscount Chandos, Lord Clement-Jones, Lord Gilbert of Panteg and Lord Leong added; Lord Blackwell, Baroness Donaghy, Lord Eatwell and Lord Sharkey discharged.
• International Agreements – Lord Fox, Lord Geidt, Lord Howell of Guildford, Baroness Kingsmill and Lord Marland added; Lord Gold, Lord Lansley, Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke, Lord Oates and Earl of Sandwich discharged.
• International Relations and Defence – Lord Ashton of Hyde appointed as chair; Baroness Coussins, Baroness Morris of Bolton, Lord Robertson of Port Ellen and Lord Soames of Fletching added; Baroness Anelay of St Johns, Lord Alton of Liverpool, Baroness Blackstone, Baroness Fall and Baroness Rawlings discharged.
• Justice and Home Affairs – Lord Beith, Lord Filkin, Baroness Henig, Baroness Meacher, Baroness Prashar and Lord Sandhurst added; Lord Dholakia, Baroness Hallett, Lord Hunt of Wirral, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, Baroness Primarolo and Lord Ricketts discharged.
• Liaison – Lord Bichard, Baroness Donaghy and Lord Haskel added; Lord Bradley, Baroness Coussins and Lord Davies of Oldham discharged.
• National Security Strategy Joint Committee – Lord Ashton of Hyde, Baroness Fall and Lord Robathan added; Baroness Anelay of St Johns, Baroness Hodgson of Abinger and Baroness Neville-Jones discharged.
• Procedure and Privileges – Baroness Bull, Baroness Butler-Sloss, Lord McNally and Lord Strathclyde added; Lord Bew, Lord Eames, Baroness Harris of Richmond and Lord Mancroft discharged; Earl of Caithness, Baroness Gohir and Lord Laming added as Alternate Members; Baroness Browning, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff and Lord Turnbull discharged as Alternate Members.
• Public Services – Baroness Morris of Yardley appointed as chair; Lord Bach, Baroness Bertin, Lord Blencathra, Baroness Campbell of Surbiton, Lord Carter of Coles, Lord Laming, Lord Prentis of Leeds, Lord Shipley and Baroness Stedman-Scott added; Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top, Lord Bichard, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth, Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen, Lord Filkin, Lord Hogan-Howe, Baroness Pinnock, Baroness Pitkeathley and Baroness Sater discharged.
• Science and Technology – Lord Borwick, Baroness Neuberger, Baroness Neville-Jones, Baroness Northover and Lord Sharkey added; Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford, Baroness Manningham-Buller, Baroness Rock, Baroness Sheehan and Baroness Walmsley discharged.
• Secondary Legislation Scrutiny – Lord Hunt of Wirral appointed as chair; Baroness Harris of Richmond, Baroness Lea of Lymm, Baroness Randerson, Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick, Lord Russell of Liverpool and Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd added; Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville, Lord German, Viscount Hanworth, Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts, Earl of Lindsay, Lord Lisvane and Baroness Watkins of Tavistock discharged.
• Selection – Lord Bichard added; Baroness Coussins discharged.
• Services – Baroness Hussein-Ece added; Lord Clement-Jones discharged.
• Statutory Instruments Joint Committee – Lord Leong and Lord Sahota added; Baroness Gale, Lord Haskel and Baroness Newlove discharged.

Parties

Conservative Party

• Nadhim Zahawi sacked as chairman on 29 January.

Democratic Unionist Party

• Assembly team spokespeople announced: Keith Buchanan appointed as chief whip and spokesperson for cultural development and for loyal orders and groups engagement
• Gordon Lyons appointed as spokesperson for finance, for public service reform and for Brexit (protocol)
• Emma Little Pengelly appointed as spokesperson for Executive Office, for Legacy and for Human Rights
• Paul Givan appointed as spokesperson for health
• Diane Dodds appointed as spokesperson for education and skills (Further Education and Higher Education)
• Joanne Bunting appointed as spokesperson for justice
• Pam Cameron appointed as spokesperson for equality, for disability and for participation
• Diane Forsythe appointed as spokesperson for communities, for childcare and for early years
• Phillip Brett appointed as spokesperson for infrastructure
• Jonathan Buckley appointed as spokesperson for economy, for business, for energy and for trade union engagement
• Deborah Erskine appointed as spokesperson for promoting the union with young people and new communities
• William Irwin appointed as spokesperson for agriculture and rural affairs
• Paul Frew appointed as spokesperson for tourism and hospitality
• Michelle McIlveen appointed as spokesperson for environment, for climate and for fishing
• David Brooks appointed as spokesperson for promoting Northern Ireland, for engagement (GB/US) and for north/south relationships
• Edwin Poots appointed as spokesperson for institutional reform and for hard to reach communities engagement
• Maurice Bradley appointed as spokesperson for policing
• Trevor Clarke appointed as spokesperson for policing
• Harry Harvey appointed as spokesperson for cultural development and for loyal orders and groups engagement
• Stephen Dunne appointed as spokesperson for sports
• Alan Robinson appointed as spokesperson for senior citizens
• Brian Kingston appointed as spokesperson for local government
• Gary Middleton appointed as spokesperson for north west
• Thomas Buchanan appointed as spokesperson for victims rights and groups liaison

Devolved Administrations

Scottish Parliament

• Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee renamed to Rural Affairs and Islands Committee on 1 February.

Northern Ireland Executive

• Belfast Health and Social Trust – Peter McNaney’s term as non-executive chair extended until 5 April.
• Northern Health and Social Care Trust – Bob McCann’s term as non-executive chair extended until 19 April.
• Northern Ireland Ambulance Service – Nicole Lappin’s term as non-executive chair extended until 5 April.

Local Authorities

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• Stirling Council – Carol Beattie no longer to stand down as chief executive as announced in December 2022.
• Tower Hamlets Council – Will Tuckley to stand down as chief executive on 2 March.

Industry

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Interest Groups

CPRE, the countryside charity – Roger Mortlock appointed as chief executive from 2 May.

RNLI – Janet Legrand KC (Hon) appointed as chair.

Terrence Higgins Trust – Richard Angell appointed as chief executive from 1 March.