Latest civil service & public affairs moves – March 4

UK Government

• Department for Business and Trade – Fiona Dickie re-appointed as Pubs Code adjudicator for three years from 3 May.
• Cabinet Office: Committee on Standards in Public Life – John Henderson appointed as independent member for five years from 26 February.
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport: British Library – Shobi Khan and Kate Mosse appointed as board members for four years from 1 March. Natural History Museum – Robert Noel re-appointed as trustee for two years from 24 April. 
• Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Salix Finance Ltd – Baroness Evans of Bowes Park appointed as chair of the board for three years from 1 March until 28 February 2027.
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Animal and Plant Health Agency – Elizabeth Buchanan appointed as lead non-executive director for three years from 1 April. 
• Ministry of Justice – The Honourable Mr Justice Swift appointed as deputy chair of the Boundary Commission for England for three years from 16 February until 15 February 2027.
• HM Treasury: Bank of England – Clare Lombardelli appointed as deputy governor for monetary policy for five years from 1 July. UK Export Finance – Robert Gillespie appointed as chair of the Board from 1 March.

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons

• Rochdale by-election result: George Galloway won the seat for the Workers Party with a majority of 5,697 and a swing of 41.8 per cent from Labour to the Workers Party on 29 February. The turnout was 39.7 per cent.
• Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield, had the Conservative whip suspended on 24 February.
• Scott Benton, MP for Blackpool South, suspended from the service of the House for 35 sitting days from 28 February. A recall petition will be open from 12 March until 22 April.
• Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy – Jeremy Quin added; Robert Courts discharged.

House of Lords

• Lord Cormack (Conservative, life peer) died on 25 February.
• Lord Plant of Highfield (Labour, life peer) retired on 28 February.
• Lord Goodlad (Conservative, life peer) retired on 29 February.
• The Lord Bishop of Durham (non-affiliated) retired on 29 February.
• Baroness Henig (Labour, life peer) died on 29 March.
• Lord Bamford (Conservative, life peer) retired on 1 March.

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Devolved Administrations

Scottish Parliament

• Fergus Ewing suspended from SNP group for one week from 28 February, after losing an appeal.

Scottish Government

• Màiri McAllan, cabinet secretary for wellbeing, economy, net zero and energy, announced that she will take maternity leave from the summer 2024. Arrangements to cover the ministerial responsibilities will be set out by the first minister in due course.
• Public Inquiry into the actions of Sam Eljamel – The Honourable Lord Weir appointed as chair.
• Independent Clinical Reviews into the actions of Sam Eljamel – Professor Stephen Wigmore appointed as chair.

Northern Ireland Assembly

• Audit Committee – Nick Mathison added.
• Executive Office Committee – Pádraig Delargy added.
• Standards and Privileges Committee – Jemma Dolan and Stephen Dunne added.

Northern Ireland Executive

• Belfast Health and Social Care Trust – Gordon Smyth’s term as non-executive (finance) director extended from 5 April until 4 February 2025.
• Patient and Client Council – Paula Bradley appointed as local government representative for four years until 30 January 2028; Cadogan Enright appointed as local government representative for four years from 1 March until 28 February 2028; Julie Aiken, Briege Arthurs, Gary McMicheal, Emma O’Neill and Rhonda Walker appointed as voluntary organisation representatives for four years until 30 January 2028; Thomas Sullivan appointed as trade union representative for four years until 30 January 2028.
• South-Eastern Health and Social Care Trust – Kieran Donaghy, Raymond Havlin and Anne Quirk appointed as a non-executive (lay) directors until 14 February 2028; Noel Brady’s term as non-executive (finance) director extended until 21 February 2025.
• Southern Health and Social Care Trust – Jackie Johnston appointed as non-executive (lay) director until 14 February 2028; Hilary McCartan’s term as non-executive (finance) director extended until 14 February 2025.

Local Authorities

• Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council – Tom Shardlow appointed as chief executive from 1 June 2024.

Industry

Interest Groups

• British Wireless for the Blind Fund – Margaret Grainger to stand down as chief executive; Sophie Jones appointed as chief executive from 1 March.
• Enterprise Trust – Hannah Guerin appointed as chief executive.
• Motability Foundation – Nigel Fletcher appointed as chief executive from end of March.
• Wales Council for Voluntary Action – Dr Lindsay Cordery-Bruce appointed as chief executive.

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