Latest civil service & public affairs moves – November 4

UK Government

• Cabinet Office: Senior Salaries Review Body – Lea Peterson appointed as chair; Mark Emerton appointed as judicial member
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport: British Museum – Sir Mark Walport re-appointed as Royal Society trustee for four years from 1 December until 30 November 2028
• Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Sellafield Ltd – Euan Hutton appointed as permanent chief executive from 1 November
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Dartmoor Land Use Management Group – Phil Stocker appointed as independent chair
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Susannah Goshko appointed as His Majesty’s ambassador to the United Mexican States from November. Carol van der Walt appointed as His Majesty’s ambassador to the Dominican Republic, succeeding Mockbul Ali.
• Department of Health and Social Care: Commission on Human Medicines – Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed appointed as chair for four years from 12 February 2025; Professor Marc Turner and Professor Christopher Weir re-appointed as commissioners for four years; Professor Poulam Patel re-appointed as commissioner for two years. Independent Reconfiguration Panel – Mark Cheetham appointed as member for four years from 1 November until 31 October 2028. NHS Business Services Authority – Sue Douthwaite re-appointed as chair for three years from 1 April 2025.
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Cambridge Growth Company – Peter Freeman appointed as chair
• Ministry of Justice – Baroness Newlove’s term as victims’ commissioner extended until 31 December 2025. Criminal Procedure Rule Committee – Jacob Hallam KC appointed as barrister member for four years.
• HM Treasury: Office for Value for Money – David Goldstone appointed as independent chair. 

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons

• Mike Amesbury had the Labour whip suspended on 27 October
• Administration Committee – Alex Barros-Curtis, Gill Furniss, Mary Glindon, Carolyn Harris, Navendu Mishra, Joe Morris, Tessa Munt, Nick Smith and Max Wilkinson added
• Backbench Business Committee – Jack Abbott, Mary Glindon, Alison Hume, Will Stone and Chris Vince added
• Business and Trade Committee – Charlie Maynard and Joshua Reynolds added
• Culture, Media and Sport Committee – Zöe Franklin and Liz Jarvis added
• Defence Committee – Mike Martin and Ian Roome added
• Education Committee – Manuela Perteghella and Caroline Voaden added
• Energy Security and Net Zero Committee – Wera Hobhouse and Claire Young added
• Environmental Audit Committee – Olivia Blake, Julia Buckley, Ellie Chowns, Barry Gardiner, Anna Gelderd, Sarah Gibson, Chris Hinchliff, Martin Rhodes, Blake Stephenson, Alison Taylor, Cameron Thomas and John Whitby added
• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee – Helena Dollimore, Sarah Dyke, Jayne Kirkham, Josh Newbury, Andrew Pakes, Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, Tim Roca and Henry Tufnell added
• Finance Committee – Clive Jones and James MacCleary added
• Foreign Affairs Committee – Richard Foord and Edward Morello added
• Health and Social Care Committee – Andrew George added
• Home Affairs Committee – Paul Kohler and Ben Maguire added
• Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee – Lee Dillon and Will Forster added
• International Development Committee – Monica Harding and Brian Mathew added
• Justice Committee – Josh Babarinde and Tessa Munt added
• Northern Ireland Affairs Committee – Daniel Aldridge, Chris Bloore, Sorcha Eastwood, Claire Hanna, Leigh Ingham, Adam Jogee, Katrina Murray, Al Pinkerton and David Smith added
• Petitions Committee – Lewis Atkinson, Kevin Bonavia, Irene Campbell, Ben Goldsborough, Robbie Moore, Dave Robertson, Dr Roz Savage and Tony Vaughan added
• Committee of Privileges – Paula Barker, Alberto Costa, Mark Ferguson, Melanie Onn, Anna Sabine, Neil Shastri-Hurst and Gareth Snell added
• Procedure Committee – Lee Dillon, Richard Holden, Tom Morrison and Joy Morrissey added
• Committee of Public Accounts – Nesil Caliskan, Mr Luke Charters, Anna Dixon, Sarah Green, Rachel Gilmour, Sarah Hall, Lloyd Hatton, Chris Kane, James Murray, Sarah Olney, Michael Payne and Oliver Ryan added
• Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee – Richard Baker, Markus Campbell-Savours, Charlotte Cane, Lauren Edwards, John Grady, Peter Lamb, Mr Richard Quigley, Luke Taylor and Michelle Welsh added
• Science, Innovation and Technology Committee – Tom Gordon and Martin Wrigley added
• Scottish Affairs Committee – Maureen Burke, Lillian Jones, Angus MacDonald, Douglas McAllister, Susan Murray, Elaine Stewart and Kirsteen Sullivan added
• Committee on Standards – Paula Barker, Mark Ferguson, Melanie Onn, Anna Sabine, Neil Shastri-Hurst and Gareth Snell added
• Transport Committee – Steff Aquarone, Scott Arthur, Catherine Atkinson, Elsie Blundell, Olly Glover, Alex Mayer, Baggy Shanker and Laurence Turner added
• Treasury Committee – Chris Coghlan and Bobby Dean added
• Welsh Affairs Committee – David Chadwick, Ann Davies, Chris Evans, Claire Hughes, Llinos Medi, Andrew Ranger, Henry Tufnell and Steve Witherden added
• Women and Equalities Committee – Alex Brewer, David Burton-Sampson, Kirith Entwistle, Natalie Fleet, Catherine Fookes, Christine Jardine, Samantha Niblett and Rachel Taylor added
• Work and Pensions Committee – Peter Bedford, Steve Darling and John Milne added.

House of Lords

• Communications and Digital Committee – Baroness Primarolo discharged
• Ecclesiastical Committee – Baroness Butler-Sloss, Earl of Cork and Orrery, Lord Dannatt, Baroness Eaton, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, Lord Glenarthur, Lord Griffiths of Burry Port, Baroness Harris of Richmond, Lord Jones, Lord Lisvane, Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall, Lord Shinkwin and Lord Taylor of Holbeach added.

Parties

Alba Party

• Kenny MacAskill appointed as acting party leader.

Devolved Administrations

Scottish Parliament

• Criminal Justice Committee – Liam Kerr appointed as deputy convener
• Education, Children and Young People Committee – Douglas Ross appointed as convener
• Health, Social Care and Sport Committee – Elena Whitham added; Ruth Maguire discharged.

Northern Ireland Executive

• Darrin Jones appointed as prisoner ombudsman for Northern Ireland for three years from 1 November
• Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland – Siobhan Caslin, Anne Henderson and Lee Wilson appointed as lay members from 4 November until 3 November 2028; Michael McGuigan appointed as registrant member from 4 November until 3 November 2028.

Local Authorities

• Leeds City Council – Senior civil servant Ed Whiting appointed as chief executive from early 2025. Whiting is director of cities and local growth in the Department for Business and Trade and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government
• Oldham Council – chief executive Harry Catherall seconded to Thameside Council; Shelley Kipling appointed as Acting chief executive
• Stirling Council – Council leader Margaret Brisley has passed away.

Combined Authorities

• East Midlands Combined County Authority – Amy Harhoff appointed as chief executive from the new year.

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