Latest civil service & public affairs moves – January 31

Government departments

• Prime Minister's Office: UK Delegation to the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly – Oliver Heald appointed as leader and co-chair; Hilary Benn and Earl of Kinnoull appointed as vice-chairs; Stuart Anderson, Lord Bach, Simon Baynes, Andrew Bowie, Baroness Crawley, Jeffrey Donaldson, Lord Gilbert of Panteg, Lord Godson, Robert Goodwill, Lord Hannan of Kingsclere, Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town, Mark Hendrick, Rupa Huq, Darren Jones, Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate, Andrea Leadsom, Lord Liddle, Tony Lloyd, Baroness Ludford, Baroness Mobarik, David Morris, David Mundell, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, Neil Parish, Lord Ricketts, Chris Skidmore, Karin Smyth, Lord Teverson, Kelly Tolhurst, Valerie Vaz, Phillipa Whitford, Mike Wood appointed as members; Baroness Bull, James Daly, Marsha De Cordova, Angela Eagle, Baroness Foster of Oxton, Kate Griffiths, Luke Hall, Sally-Ann Hart, Robin Millar, Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick, Alyn Smith, Baroness Suttie appointed as substitutes.
• Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Committee on Fuel Poverty – Caroline Flint appointed as chair for three years from 31 January.
• Cabinet Office: Government Property Agency – Yvette Greener appointed as client director; Clive Anderson appointed as director of capital projects.
• Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: National Museums Liverpool – Sir David Henshaw re-appointed as chair for three years from 12 February until 11 February 2025. Sports Grounds Safety Authority – Jane Sawyers QPM and Dame Jil Matheson re-appointed as board members for three years until 11 December 2024; David Mackinnon, Philip Kolvin QC and Susan Johnson OBE re-appointed as board members for one year until 7 February 2023. Theatres Trust – Katie Town appointed as interim chair until 31 March.
• Department of Health and Social Care: NHS England – Richard Meddings appointed as chair, replacing Lord Prior of Brampton.
• HM Treasury: Office of Tax Simplification – John Cullinane and Kathleen Russ re-appointed to the board

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons

• Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy – Diana Johnson added; Yvette Cooper discharged.
• Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body – Robin Millar added; Ian Levy resigned.

House of Lords

• Lord Agnew of Oulton resigned as Minister of State for Efficiency and Transformation in the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury on 24 January.
• Lord Sugar granted a leave of absence on 24 January.

Political parties

Labour

• Laura Pidcock resigned from the National Executive Committee on 26 January.
• Paulette Hamilton selected as Labour candidate for the Birmingham, Erdington by-election.

Devolved administrations

Scottish Parliament

• Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee – Graeme Dey added; Elena Whitham discharged.
• Social Justice and Social Security Committee – Elena Whitham added; Neil Gray discharged.
• Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee – Collette Stevenson added; Elena Whitham discharged.

Scottish Government

• Graeme Dey resigned as minister for transport on 24 January.
• Jenny Gilruth appointed minister for transport on 25 January, she was previously minister for culture, Europe and international development.
• Neil Gray appointed to the Scottish Government as minister for culture, Europe and international development on 25 January.
• NatureScot – Dr Mike Cantlay re-appointed as Chair of the Board for one year from 15 May to 14 May 2023.
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency – Terry A’Hearn has stepped down as chief executive; chief officer Jo Green appointed as acting chief executive.

Welsh Government

• Michelle Morris appointed as public services ombudsman for Wales for seven years from 1 April.
• Powys Teaching Health Board – Kirsty Williams appointed as vice-chair until 9 January 2026.

Northern Ireland Executive

• CAFRE College Advisory Group – Barclay Bell appointed as member representing the Arable/Crops Sector; Deborah O'Hare appointed as member representing the Education Sector; Elaine Willis appointed as member representing the Food Processing Sector. Each appointed for three years.
• Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council for Nursing and Midwifery – Karen Diamond and Emma McIlveen appointed as non-executive lay members until 31 December 2025; Siobhán Caslin appointed as non-executive lay member until 5 January 2026; Brenda Kelly Murnion appointed as non-executive professional member until 31 December 2025; Kieran McCormick appointed as non-executive professional member until and 11 January 2026; Lisa Houlihan re-appointed as non-executive professional member until 31 December 2022; Catherine Rice re-appointed as non-executive professional member until 27 January 2023.
• Patient and Client Council – Elizabeth Cuddy re-appointed as non-executive lay member until 15 April; William Halliday re-appointed as non-executive lay member until 8 April; Joan McEwan re-appointed as non-executive voluntary and community member until 1 April.
• Belfast Metropolitan College – Stephen Dallas, Lauren McAteer, Seamus McGoran and Yvonne Murphy appointed to the governing body for four years.
• Northern Regional College – Louise Crilly, Pauline Martin, Gary McAllister, Denise McIlwaine, Raymond McKernan, Simon Shevlin and David Small appointed to the governing body for four years.
• North West Regional College – Diane Creevy, Mary Gormley, Sian Fisher, Jennifer McKeever, Charlene Shongo and Peter Thompson, Kieran Kennedy MBE, Brian O'Neill and Frederick Smyth appointed to the governing body for four years.
• Southern Regional College – Gary McMurray, Laura Milner, Thomas Moore and Hilary Singleton OBE appointed to the governing body for four years.
• South West College – Elaine Grier, Sandra Isherwood, Alana Jones-Campbell, Celine McCartan MBE, Anne McCleary and Lynsey Quinn, Frances Campbell and Brian Ingram appointed to the governing body for four years.

Local authorities

• Kensington and Chelsea Council – Barry Quirk to step down as chief executive in the summer.
• Halton Council – Stephen Young appointed as chief executive.
• North West Leicestershire Council – Bev Smith to stand down as chief executive on 30 April.
• West Dunbartonshire Council – Joyce White to step down as chief executive in the summer.

Industry

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Interest groups

• British Polio Fellowship – Kripen Dhrona appointed as chief executive officer.
• Cats Protection – Linda Upson has stepped down as chair.
• Greenpeace UK – John Sauven to step down as executive director on 1 February after 14 years and will stay on to advise and support the interim executive director until 31 March; Pat Venditti appointed as interim executive director