Latest civil service & public affairs moves – November 13

UK Government

• Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Gambling Commission – Charles Counsell, Helen Dodds, Sheree Howard, Claudia Mortimore appointed as commissioners for five years; Lloydette Bai-Marrow, Helen Philips and David Rossington appointed as commissioners for four years
• Ministry of Defence – Brigadier Philip McNee appointed as surgeon general, in the rank of major general, from May 2024.
• Department for Education – Kate Ridley-Moy appointed as director of apprenticeships and skills bootcamps, succeeding Peter Mucklow who is to retire later this year.
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Liz Boyles appointed as His Majesty’s ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania from September 2024, succeeding Brian Olley who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.
• Government Equalities Office: Social Mobility Commission – Alun Francis appointed as permanent chair; Resham Kotecha and Rob Wilson appointed as interim deputy chairs. Women’s Business Council – Mary Macleod appointed as chair.
• Ministry of Justice – Charles Taylor re-appointed as chief inspector of prisons for England and Wales for three years from 1 November until 31 October 2026. Family Procedure Rule Committee – Laura Coyle appointed as practitioner member for three years; Graeme Fraser re-appointed as Solicitor Member for three years from 28 February 2024; Rhys Taylor and Poonam Bhari re-appointed as barrister members for three years from 28 February 2024. Law Commission – Professor Alison Young appointed as  law commissioner for public law and the law in Wales from 18 March 2024. Youth Justice Board – Susannah Hancock, Jacob Sakil and Louise Shorter re-appointed as members for three years until 30 November 2026.
• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Office for Local Government – Josh Goodman appointed as chief executive. Leasehold Advisory Service – Martin Boyd appointed as chair.
• Department for Science, Innovation and Technology – Paul Bristow dismissed as PPS to secretary of state Michelle Donelan.
• HM Treasury: Government Internal Audit Agency – Jonathan Chapman appointed to the board as non-executive director from January 2024.
• Non-Ministerial Departments: Ofqual – Sir Ian Bauckham appointed as interim chief regulator of qualification for England for 12 months from 1 January 2024. Ofgem – Mark McAllister appointed as chair from 6 November. Ofwat – Helen Campbell appointed as board member. Ofsted – Lee Owston appointed as national director, education from 1 January 2024.

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons

• Crispin Blunt, MP for Reigate, had the Conservative whip suspended on 26 October; he now sits as an Independent MP.
• Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough, had the Labour whip suspended on 30 October; he now sits as an Independent MP.
• Bob Stewart, MP for Beckenham, surrendered the Conservative whip while he considers appealing against his conviction for a racially aggravated public order offence on 4 November.

House of Lords

• The leave of absence granted to the following members ended on 26 October: Baroness Ashton of Upholland (Non-affiliated, life peer), Lord Black of Crossharbour (Non-affiliated, life peer), Lord Browne of Madingley (Crossbench, life peer), Lord Cooper of Windrush (Non-affiliated, life peer), Lord Darroch of Kew (Crossbench, life peer), Lord Irvine of Lairg (Labour, life peer), Lord Hardie (Crossbench, life peer), Baroness King of Bow (Labour, life peer), Lord Mance (Crossbench, life peer), Lord Plant of Highfield (Labour, life peer).
• A leave of absence granted to the following members for the remainder of this Session: Lord Barker of Battle (Conservative, life peer), Lord Barwell (Conservative, life peer), Lord Bates (Conservative, life peer), Baroness Campbell of Loughborough (Crossbench, life peer), Lord Christopher (Labour, life peer), Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour, life peer), Lord Collins of Mapesbury (Crossbench, life peer), Lord Davies of Abersoch (Non-affiliated, life peer), Lord Feldman of Elstree (Conservative, life peer), Lord Freud (Conservative, life peer), Baroness Fritchie (Crossbench, life peer), Baroness Fullbrook (Conservative, life peer), Lord Hague of Richmond (Conservative, life peer), Lord Hanningfield (Non-affiliated, life peer), Lord Llewellyn of Steep (Conservative life peer), Lord Malloch-Brown (Crossbench, life peer), Baroness Mone (Conservative, life peer), Baroness Morgan of Ely (Labour, life peer), Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury (Crossbench, life peer), Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay (Non-affiliated, life peer), Lord O'Shaughnessy (Conservative, life peer), Lord Palumbo of Southwark (Lib Dem, life peer), Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers (Crossbench, life peer), Lord Prior of Brampton (Non-affiliated, life peer), Baroness Scotland of Asthal (Labour, life peer), Baroness Shafik (Crossbench, life peer), Baroness Vadera (Non-affiliated, life peer), Baroness Worthington (Crossbench, life peer).
• Sue Carr raised to the peerage as Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill on 6 November. The date of her introduction to the Lords is still to be announced.
• The Bishop of Coventry retired from the House of Lords on 6 November.
• Lord Judge (Crossbench, life peer) died on 7 November.
• Lord Bhatia (Non-affiliated, life peer) and Lord Dixon-Smith (Conservative, life peer) ceased to be members of the House of Lords on 7 November, due to not attending the House during the 2022–23 session.
• Lord Gardiner of Kimble re-appointed as senior deputy speaker (chairman of committees) for this session.

Committees for this Session

• AI in Weapon Systems Committee – Lord Lisvane re-appointed as chair; Lord Browne of Ladyton, Lord Clement-Jones, Baroness Doocey, Lord Fairfax of Cameron, Lord Grocott, Lord Hamilton of Epsom, Baroness Hodgson of Abinger, Lord Houghton of Richmond, Lord Mitchell, Lord Sarfraz and Lord Triesman re-appointed as members.
• Built Environment Committee – Lord Moylan re-appointed as chair; Lord Berkeley, Lord Best, Lord Carrington of Fulham, Baroness Cohen of Pimlico, Baroness Eaton, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, Lord Greenhalgh, Lord Mawson, Earl Russell, Baroness Thornhill, Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe re-appointed as members.
• Communications and Digital Committee – Baroness Stowell of Beeston re-appointed as chair; Baroness Featherstone, Lord Foster of Bath, Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie, Lord Griffiths of Burry Port, Lord Hall of Birkenhead, Baroness Harding of Winscombe, Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill, Lord Kamall, Bishop of Leeds, Lord Lipsey, Baroness Wheatcroft and Lord Young of Norwood Green re-appointed as members.
• Conduct Committee – Baroness Manningham-Buller re-appointed as chair; Lord Blair of Boughton, Lord Garnier, Baroness Mallalieu and Lord Scriven re-appointed as Members; Cindy Butts, Mark Castle OBE, Andrea Coomber and Dr Vanessa Davies re-appointed as Lay External members.
• Joint Committee on Consolidation, &c, Bills – Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd re-appointed as chair; Baroness Andrews, Viscount Bridgeman, Baroness D’Souza, Lord Eames, Viscount Eccles,               Viscount Hanworth, Baroness Mallalieu, Lord Razzall, Lord Rowlands, Baroness Seccombe and Baroness Thomas of Winchester re-appointed as members.
• Constitution Committee – Baroness Drake re-appointed as chair; Lord Anderson of Ipswich, Baroness Andrews, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, Baroness Finn, Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, Lord Hope of Craighead, Lord Keen of Elie, Lord Mancroft, Lord Strathclyde, Baroness Suttie and Lord Thomas of Gresford re-appointed as members.
• Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee – Lord McLoughlin re-appointed as chair; Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville, Lord Carlile of Berriew, Lord Cunningham of Felling, Lord Goodlad, Lord Hendy, Baroness Humphreys, Lord Janvrin, Earl of Lindsay and Lord Rooker re-appointed as members.
• Economic Affairs Committee – Lord Bridges of Headley re-appointed as chair; Lord Blackwell, Lord Davies of Brixton, Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach, Lord King of Lothbury, Baroness Kramer, Lord Layard, Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke, Lord Londesborough, Baroness Noakes, Lord Rooker, Lord Turnbull and Lord Verjee re-appointed as members.
• Education for 11-16 Year Olds Committee – Lord Johnson of Marylebone re-appointed as chair; Lord Aberdare, Lord Baker of Dorking, Baroness Blower, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, Baroness Garden of Frognal, Lord Knight of Weymouth, Lord Lexden, Lord Mair, Baroness Massey of Darwen, Lord Storey and Lord Watson of Invergowrie re-appointed as members.
• Environment and Climate Change Committee – Baroness Parminter re-appointed as chair; Baroness Boycott, Baroness Bray of Coln, Lord Bruce of Bennachie, Lord Duncan of Springbank, Lord Grantchester, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, Lord Lilley, Lord Lucas of Crudwell and Dingwall, Bishop of Oxford, Duke of Wellington, Lord Whitty and Baroness Young of Old Scone re-appointed as members.
• European Affairs Committee – Lord Ricketts re-appointed as chair; Lord Adonis, Baroness Anelay of St Johns, Baroness Blackstone, Lord Hannay of Chiswick, Lord Jay of Ewelme, Lord Lamont of Lerwick, Lord Liddle, Baroness Ludford, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, Baroness Scott of Needham Market, Viscount Trenchard and Lord Wood of Anfield re-appointed as members.
• Finance Committee – Lord Vaux of Harrowden re-appointed as chair; Lord Altrincham, Earl of Courtown, Lord Davies of Brixton, Lord Kennedy of Southwark, Lord Lee of Trafford, Lord Levene of Portsoken, Lord Reay, Lord Stoneham of Droxford and Lord Tomlinson re-appointed as members.
• House of Lords Commission – Lord McFall of Alcluith re-appointed as chair; Lord Gardiner of Kimble re-appointed as Deputy chair; Lord German, Lord Hill of Oareford, Earl of Kinnoull, Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall, Lord Newby, Baroness Smith of Basildon, Lord True and Lord Vaux of Harrowden re-appointed as Members; Charlotte Moar and Nora Senior re-appointed as Lay members.
• Joint Committee on Human Rights – Lord Alton of Liverpool, Lord Dholakia, Lord Henley, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon and Baroness Meyer re-appointed as members.
• Hybrid Instruments Committee – Lord Gardiner of Kimble re-appointed as chair; Lord Addington, Lord Dykes, Lord Grantchester and Baroness Jenkin of Kennington re-appointed as members.
• Industry and Regulators Committee – Lord Hollick re-appointed as chair; Lord Agnew of Oulton, Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted, Lord Burns, Viscount Chandos, Lord Clement-Jones, Lord Cromwell, Lord Gilbert of Panteg, Baroness McGregor-Smith, Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway, Lord Reay and Baroness Taylor of Bolton re-appointed as members.
• Integration of Primary and Community Care Committee – Baroness Pitkeathley re-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 re-appointed as members.
• International Agreements Committee – Lord Goldsmith re-appointed as chair; Lord Fox, Lord Geidt, Lord Grimstone of Boscobel, Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town            , Lord Howell of Guildford, Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, Baroness Kingsmill, Lord Marland, Lord Razzall, Lord Udny-Lister and Lord Watts re-appointed as members.
• International Relations and Defence Committee – Lord Ashton of Hyde re-appointed as chair; Lord Anderson of Swansea, Lord Boateng, Lord Campbell of Pittenweem, Baroness Coussins, Baroness Morris of Bolton, Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, Lord Soames of Fletching, Lord Stirrup, Baroness Sugg, Lord Teverson and Lord Wood of Anfield re-appointed as members.
• Justice and Home Affairs Committee – Baroness Hamwee re-appointed as chair; Lord Beith, Lord Blunkett, Baroness Chakrabarti, Lord Filkin, Baroness Henig, Lord McInnes of Kilwinning, Baroness Meacher, Baroness Prashar, Baroness Sanderson of Welton, Lord Sandhurst and Baroness Shackleton of Belgravia re-appointed as members.
• Liaison Committee – Lord Gardiner of Kimble re-appointed as chair; Lord Bach, Lord Bichard, Lord Blencathra, Lord Collins of Highbury, Lord Haskel, Earl Howe, Earl of Kinnoull, Baroness Scott of Needham Market, Lord Taylor of Holbeach and Baroness Walmsley re-appointed as members.
• Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy – Lord Butler of Brockwell, Baroness Crawley, Lord Dannatt, Baroness Fall, Lord Reid of Cardowan, Lord Robathan, Lord Sarfraz, Lord Snape, Viscount Stansgate and Lord Strasburger re-appointed as members.
• Procedure and Privileges Committee – Lord Gardiner of Kimble re-appointed as chair; Baroness Bull, Baroness Butler-Sloss, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, Baroness Humphreys, Lord Kennedy of Southwark, Earl of Kinnoull, Lord McFall of Alcluith, Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall, Lord McNally    , Lord Newby, Baroness Sanderson of Welton, Lord Sherbourne of Didsbury, Baroness Smith of Basildon, Lord Stoneham of Droxford, Lord Strathclyde, Baroness Taylor of Bolton, Lord True and Baroness Williams of Trafford re-appointed as Members; Lord Alderdice, Earl of Caithness, Lord Collins of Highbury, Baroness Gohir and Lord Laming re-appointed as Alternate members.
• Public Services Committee – Baroness Morris of Yardley re-appointed as chair; Lord Bach, Baroness Bertin, Lord Blencathra, Baroness Campbell of Surbiton, Lord Carter of Coles, Lord Laming, Lord Porter of Spalding, Lord Prentis of Leeds, Lord Shipley, Baroness Stedman-Scott and Lord Willis of Knaresborough re-appointed as members.
• Science and Technology Committee – Baroness Brown of Cambridge re-appointed as chair; Lord Borwick, Viscount Hanworth, Lord Holmes of Richmond, Lord Krebs, Baroness Neuberger, Baroness Neville-Jones, Baroness Northover, Lord Rees of Ludlow, Lord Sharkey, Viscount Stansgate, Lord Wei and Lord Winston re-appointed as members.
• Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee – Lord Hunt of Wirral re-appointed as chair; Lord de Mauley, Baroness Harris of Richmond, Lord Hutton of Furness, Baroness Lea of Lymm, Lord Powell of Bayswater, Baroness Randerson, Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick, Lord Rowlands, Lord Russell of Liverpool and Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd re-appointed as members.
• Selection Committee – Lord Gardiner of Kimble re-appointed as chair; Lord Bichard, Lord Jones, Lord Kennedy of Southwark, Earl of Kinnoull, Lord Newby, Baroness Smith of Basildon, Lord Smith of Hindhead, Lord Stoneham of Droxford, Lord True and Baroness Williams of Trafford re-appointed as members.
• Services Committee –  Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall re-appointed as chair; Lord Clark of Windermere, Baroness Deech, Lord Haselhurst, Lord Howard of Rising, Baroness Hussein-Ece, Earl of Kinnoull, Lord Stoneham of Droxford, Baroness Wheeler, and Baroness Williams of Trafford re-appointed as members.
• Standing Orders (Private Bills) Committee – Lord Gardiner of Kimble re-appointed as chair; Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Lord Geddes, Lord Jones, Lord McColl of Dulwich, Lord Naseby and Baroness Thomas of Winchester re-appointed as members.
• Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments – Lord Beith, Lord Chartres, Baroness D'Souza, Lord Sahota, Baroness Sater, Lord Smith of Hindhead and Lord Watson of Wyre Forest re-appointed as members.

Parties

Labour

• Imran Hussain resigned as shadow minister for the new deal for working Ppeople on 7 November.

Devolved administrations

Scottish Parliament

• Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, defected from the Scottish National Party to the Alba Party on 28 October.
• Economy and Fair Work Committee – Evelyn Tweed added.
• Health, Social Care and Sport Committee – Ivan McKee and Ruth Maguire added; Stephanie Callaghan and discharged.
• Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee – Stephanie Callaghan added; Ivan McKee discharged.
• Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee – Bob Doris added.
• Social Justice and Social Security Committee – John Mason added; James Dornan discharged.
• Poverty and Inequality Commission – Professor Stephen Sinclair appointed as chair from 12 November until 30 June 2024; Tressa Burke and Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick appointed as commissioners from 11 November until 30 June 2024.

Welsh Government

• Adnodd – Emyr George appointed as chief executive from January 2024.
• Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board –  Gareth Williams appointed as cice-chair; Urtha Felda and Caroline Turner appointed as independent members.
• Natural Resources Wales – Sir David Henshaw’s term as chair extended from 1 November.

Northern Ireland Executive

• Michelle Tennyson appointed as chief allied health professions officer for Northern Ireland from January 2024.
• Libraries NI Board – Bernard Cullen’s term as chair extended from 1 November until 31 December; Linda Wilson re-appointed as board member from 1 November until 31 October 2027.

Local Authorities

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• Angus Council – Kathryn Lindsay appointed as chief executive.
• Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council – Julie Beilby to retire as chief executive in February 2024.
• Woking Borough Council – Julie Fisher to stand down as chief executive in February 2024.

Industry

Interest Groups

• Action with Communities in Rural England – Richard Quallington stood down as chief executive.
• St John Ambulance – Martin Houghton-Brown to stand down as chief executive next year.
• Talent Foundry – Jenni Anderson appointed as chief executive from January 2024.

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