Latest civil service & public affairs moves – November 14

Government reshuffle

Details of the reshuffle can be found here

UK government

• Cabinet Office – Sir Gavin Williamson resigned as minister of state (minister without portfolio) on 8 November. Senior Salaries Review Body – Philippa Hird appointed as interim member until 31 July 2023. 
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Stephanie Al-Qaq appointed as His Majesty's ambassador to the Federative Republic of Brazil from November, succeeding Peter Wilson CMG. 
• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Liverpool City Council – Stephen Hughes appointed as finance commissioner from 8 November until 9 June 2024.

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons 

• Kate Green appointed as Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead on 10 November. A by-election for a new MP for Stretford and Urmston will take place in due course. 
• City of Chester by-election – statement of persons nominated

Committee chairs

• Treasury Committee – Harriett Baldwin elected as chair on 9 November. 
• Education Committee – Ballot will take place on 16 November. Nominees so far: Jonathan Gullis, David Simmonds and Robin Walker. 
• Transport Committee – Ballot will take place on 16 November. Nominees so far: Jack Brereton, Jackie Doyle-Price, Katherine Fletcher, Chris Loder, Karl McCartney and Iain Stewart. 

Committee members

• Backbench Business Committee – Kevin Foster added. 
• Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee – Mark Jenkinson added. 
• Defence Committee – Sarah Atherton added; Andrew Bowie discharged. 
• Education Committee – Flick Drummond added; Tom Hunt discharged. 
• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee – Steven Bonnar added; Kirsty Blackman discharged. 
• Health and Social Care Committee – Chris Green added; Helen Whately discharged.  
• Northern Ireland Affairs Committee – Sir Robert Buckland and Carla Lockhart added; Gregory Campbell and Fay Jones discharged. 
• Scottish Affairs Committee – David Duguid added; Andrew Bowie discharged. 
• Committee of Selection – Steve Double and Marcus Jones added; Nigel Huddleston and Craig Whittaker discharged. 

House of Lords 

• Lord Boyce (crossbench, life peer) died on 6 November. 
• Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat, life peer) died on 7 November. 
• Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative) and Baroness Twycross (Labour) raised to the peerage on 7 November. Baroness O'Neill of Bexley’s introduction will take place on 17 November and Baroness Twycross’ on 14 November. 
• Baroness Bray of Coln (Conservative) and Baroness Moyo (Conservative) raised to the peerage on 8 November. Baroness Bray of Coln’s introduction will take place on 1 December and Baroness Moyo’s on 5 December. 
• Lord Evans of Rainow (Conservative) and Barones Foster of Aghadrumsee (non-affiliated) raised to the peerage on 9 November. Both will be introduced on 24 November. 
• Bishop of Leicester’s introduction to the Lords took place on 8 November. 

Devolved administrations

Scottish Parliament 

• Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee – Ash Regan added; Natalie Don discharged. 
• Social Justice and Social Security Committee – James Dornan added; Elena Whitham discharged as chair. 

Scottish Government 

• Accounts Commission – Malcolm Bell, Nichola Brown, Jennifer Henderson and Ruth MacLeod appointed as Members for four years. 
• Scotland 5G Centre – Derek Waddell has replaced Paul Coffey as interim chief executive. 

Welsh Parliament 

• Rhys ab Owen MS suspended from the Plaid Cymru Senedd group, now sits as an independent. 

Local authorities

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• East Suffolk Council – Chris Bally appointed as chief executive. 
• Fife Council – Steve Grimmond to retire as chief executive in June 2023. 

Combined authorities

• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority – Mayor Dr Nik Johnson will be taking a three month plus leave of absence for medical treatment. Deputy Mayor Anna Smith will take over responsibilities from 18 November. 
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority – Baroness Hughes of Stretford to stand down as deputy mayor for policing, crime, criminal justice and fire in the new year. Kate Green, former MP for Stretford and Urmston, has accepted the mayor's invitation to be put forward for the role. The nomination will now go forward for consideration by the Police, Fire and Crime Panel.

Industry  

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Corporates 

• Faculty – Paul Maltby appointed as Director of AI Transformation in Government. He was previously Chief Digital Officer at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. 

Interest Groups 

• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) – Sally Loudon to step down as chief executive in spring 2023. 
• Carers & Enterprise Company – Baroness Morgan of Cotes appointed as chair from December, succeeding Christine Hodgson CBE. Hodgson will step down as chair in December and from the board in March 2023, to become a lifetime patron. 
• Onward – Adam Hawksbee appointed as interim director. 
• People Against Poverty – Belinda Wadsworth appointed as chief executive. 
• River Action – James Wallace appointed as chief executive.