Latest civil service & public affairs moves – 30 March–20 April

UK government

• Cabinet Office – Amanda Hack MP replaced Leigh Ingham MP as parliamentary private secretary to the leader of the House of Commons Alan Campbell MP. 
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport – Creative Industries Council: Tim Davie appointed as co-chair from 1 August, succeeding Sir Peter Bazalgette, joining Baroness Vadera and becoming sole chair upon her departure on 31 December.  Sports Grounds Safety Authority: Martin Esom and Bradley Pritchard re-appointed as members for three years from 14 March until 13 March 2029. 
• Ministry of Defence – Polly Miller-Perkins appointed as Armed Forces Commissioner from 30 March. 
• Department for Education – Office for Students: Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne appointed as joint chief executives from 15 June. 
• Department for Energy Security and Net Zero – Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: Peter Hill stood down as chair on 17 April; Catriona Schmolke appointed as interim chair. 
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Consumer Council for Water: Alison Austin and Hilary Florek appointed as members for three years from 1 April; Peter Judge appointed as member for three years from 1 November. Covent Garden Market Authority: Penny Alexander and Christopher Carter Keall appointed as non-executive directors for four years from 5 May until 4 May 2030. UK Sea Fish Industry Authority: Paul McCourt appointed as board member and chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee from 1 April until 31 March 2029; Pam Vick appointed as board member from 1 April until 31 March 2029. 
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Sir Oliver Robbins to depart as permanent under-secretary. Jane Stevens appointed as His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Iceland from September, succeeding Dr Bryony Mathew. Matt Baugh appointed as British High Commissioner to the Republic of Kenya from April, succeeding Neil Wigan. 
• Department of Health and Social Care – Donna Ockenden appointed as chair of independent review into University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust maternity and neonatal services. 
• Home Office – Adam Thompson MP replaced Alan Gemmell MP as parliamentary private secretary.  Gareth Davies appointed as new Home Office permanent secretary from 6 April. Tim Jacques appointed as independent Prevent commissioner from 14 April,  succeeding Lord Anderson of Ipswich. Animals in Science Committee: Dr Andrew Benest, Dr Beth Clark, Dr Juliet Dukes, Dr David Grumett, Dr Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas and Prof Alastair Wilson appointed as members for three years until 31  March 2029. 
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – National Housing Bank: Chris Taylor and Simon Pistell appointed as independent non-executive directors to the board. 
• Ministry of Justice – MoJ Departmental Board: Jennifer Rademaker re-appointed as non-executive director for three years from 21 August; Gurpreet Dehal appointed as non-executive director and chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee for three years from 1 April. Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody: Wendy Sinclair-Gieben appointed as chair for three years from 1 May. Legal Services Board: Monisha Shah appointed as chair for four years from 1 April. Sentencing Council: Tim de Meyer appointed as member, of experience of policing, until 30 June; Jessica Jacobson and Rokaiya Khan appointed as members, with expertise in academic research and the rehabilitation of offenders respectively, for three years; Johanna Robinson re-appointed as member, with experience of promotion of the welfare of victims, for three years from 5 October. 
• Northern Ireland Office – Leslie Philpott re-appointed as lead non-executive board member for six months until 31 March 2027.
• Department for Science, Innovation and Technology – Ofcom: Sir Ian Cheshire named as preferred candidate for chair, subject to a pre-appointment hearing by the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee. UK Research and Innovation: Prof Sir Leszek Borysiewicz named as preferred candidate for chair, to be  appointed in the summer, succeeding Sir Andrew Mackenzie. 
• Department for Transport – Luke Murphy MP replaced Julie Minns MP as parliamentary private secretary. Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee: Sue Sharp appointed interim chair until 31 October.
• Department for Work and Pensions – Mariella Frostrup appointed the government’s women's employment ambassador. 
• Government Legal Department – Douglas Wilson appointed as Treasury Solicitor, HM Procurator General and permanent secretary from 13 April.
• Valuation Office Agency – Ceased to exist as an executive agency on 1 April and has been brought into HM Revenue & Customs. 

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons 

• Karl Turner, MP for Kingston upon Hull East, had the Labour whip suspended on 31 March. 
• Committees – Business and Trade : Chris Bloore and Leigh Ingham added; Sonia Kumar and Matt Western discharged.  Foreign Affairs: Alan Gemmell added; Phil Brickell discharged. 

House of Lords 

• Lord Ashton of Hyde was non-affiliated, now crossbench. 
• Earl of Lytton (crossbench, hereditary peer) retired from the Lords on 28 March. 
• Earl Russell (Lib Dem, hereditary peer) was created a life peer as Baron Russell of Forest Hill on 30 March. 
• Lord Bragg (Labour) retired from the Lords on 31 March. 
• Lord Palumbo of Southwark (Liberal Democrat) retired from the Lords on 1 April. 
• Lord Boyd of Duncansby’s (non-affiliated) leave of absence has come to an end on 1 April; he was non-affiliated, now crossbench. 
• Lord Dannatt (crossbench) has returned from suspension from the Lords. 
• Viscount Bridgeman (Conservative, hereditary peer) died on 9 April. 
• Lord Clarke of Hampstead (Labour) and The Earl of Liverpool (Conservative, hereditary peer) retired from the Lords on 17 April. 
• Simon Burton retired as clerk of the parliaments on 1 April; Chloe Mawson appointed as clerk of the parliaments on 2 April until 1 April 2031. 
• Duncan Sagar appointed as clerk assistant of the House on 1 April. 

Devolved administrations

Northern Ireland Assembly 

• Gary Middleton resigned as MLA for Foyle on 9 April; Julie Middleton co-opted as the new MLA for Foyle on 13 April. 

Northern Ireland Executive 

• Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside – Sara McCracken appointed as interim chair for six months from 6 April. 
• Invest NI – Fiona Derry, Emma Garrett, Peter Lynch, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir and Andrew Webb appointed as members to the board for three years from 1 April until 31 March 2029. 
• Northern Regional College – Paula Leitch, David Nichol and Sam Snodden appointed as iterim members of the governing body for 12 months from 13 April. 

Local authorities

Councils 

• Bedford Borough Council – Tasnim Shawkat appointed as assistant inspector to the inspection team, appointed to undertake an inspection of Bedford Borough Council under section 10 of the Local Government Act 1999. 
• Derby City Council – Paul Simpson to stand down as chief executive. 
• East Riding of Yorkshire Council – Paul Simpson to be appointed as chief executive. 
• Warrington Borough Council – Sarah Smith appointed as chief executive, succeeding Steve Park. 

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