Latest civil service & public affairs moves – October 30

UK Government

• Prime Minister's Office – Steve Baker, Craig Williams and Sir Graham Brady appointed as privy counsellors.
• Department for Business and Trade: Companies House – Chief executive Louise Smyth re-elected as president of the Corporate Registers Forum for two years.
• Cabinet Office – Simon Case, cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, to take a short period of leave because of a private medical matter and is due to return to work in a few weeks.
• House of Lords Appointments Commission – Baroness Deech announced as the preferred candidate for chair from November. The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee endorsed Baroness Deech for the role on 26 October.
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport: British Library – Giles Adams appointed as board member for four years.
• Home Office: Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group – Professor Thomas Edward Sorell, Professor Denise Syndercombe-Court and Dr Peter Waggett re-appointed as members for three years from March 2024.
• Ministry of Justice: Andrew Malkinson Inquiry – Sarah Munro KC appointed as chair. Sentencing Council for England and Wales – Johanna Robinson appointed as non-judicial member.
• Northern Ireland Office: National Museums Northern Ireland – Gorden Milligan appointed as chair; Keith Charlton, Ryan Cornett, Sally Montgomery, Peter Osborne, Therese Rafferty, Fiona Ryan and Mark Walker appointed as board members.
• Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Met Office – Andy Samuel appointed to the board as non-executive director. Geospatial Commission – Sarah Hodgetts appointed as interim director.

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons

• The House voted to suspend Peter Bone for six weeks from 25 October until 5 December. This triggered a recall petition in his constituency Wellingborough, which will be open from 8 November until 19 December.
• Roger Gale to continue as deputy speaker until 31 March 2024.
• Defence Committee – Robert Courts elected as chair with 249 votes on 25 October.
• Liaison Committee – Robert Courts added.

House of Lords

• Lord Ribeiro (Conservative, life peer) retired from the House of Lords on 23 October.
• Lord Christopher (Labour, life peer) was granted a leave of absence on 23 October.
• Lord Elder (Labour, life peer) died on 24 October.
• The Bishop of Newcastle and The Bishop of Norwich were introduced on 26 October.

Devolved Administrations

Northern Ireland Executive

• Livestock and Meat Commission Northern Ireland – Joseph Stewart appointed as chair for three years; John Hood, David Mark, Sean McKeever, David Torrens and Elaine Willis appointed as board members for three years from 23 October.
• Public Health Agency – Colin Coffey appointed as chair from 1 November until 31 October 2027.

Combined Authorities

• Greater Manchester Combined Authority – Eamonn Boylan to retire as chief executive of GMCA and as chief executive of transport for Greater Manchester in May 2024.

Industry

Interest Groups

• Children’s Trust – Mike Thiedke appointed as chief executive from 13 November.
• National Galleries of Scotland – Anne Lyden appointed as director-general from 1 January.
• Voluntary Health Scotland – Claire Stevens to retire as chief executive in spring 2024.

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