Latest civil service & public affairs moves – July 7

UK government

• Cabinet Office: Sir Brian Leveson re-appointed as Investigatory Powers Commissioner for three years from 20 October.
• Ministry of Defence: UK Strategic Command to be renamed Cyber and Specialist Operations Command from 1 September. Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton appointed as chief of the defence staff from September, succeeding Admiral Sir Tony Radakin. Admiral Sir Ben Key’s service and commission have been terminated because of an investigation which found his values and standard to have fallen short.
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: David Hill appointed as interim permanent secretary from 30 June. Cotswolds Conservation Board – Katherine Chesson and Ellie Fujioka re-appointed for three years from 1 July until 30 June 2028. North York Moors National Park Authority – Abida Nayyar re-appointed for four years from 1 July until 30 June 2029.
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Smita Rossetti appointed as British High Commissioner to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas from August, succeeding Tom Hartley who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Kathy Leach appointed as His Majesty’s ambassador to the Republic of Latvia from August, succeeding Paul Brummell who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.
• Home Office: Biometrics Commissioner Francesca Whitelaw KC appointed as Interim Biometrics Commissioner for six months from 1 July.
• Ministry of Justice: Independent Public Advocate Cindy Butts announced as preferred candidate for Independent Public Advocate for five years, subject to a pre-appointment hearing by the Justice Select Committee. Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman Douglas Marshall re-appointed as ombudsman for five years from 1 March 2026.
• Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Emran Mian appointed as permanent secretary, succeeding Sarah Munby.
• Scotland Office: Fiona Mettam appointed as director of the Scotland Office from this summer.
• Department for Transport: Jo Shanmugalingam appointed as permanent secretary, succeeding Bernadette Kelly.

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons 

• Committees:  Education – James Cleverly added; Patrick Spencer discharged. Joint Committee on National Security Strategy – Gavin Williamson added; Julian Lewis discharged. Procedure – Gavin Williamson added; Richard Holden discharged. Public Accounts – Blake Stephenson added; Rebecca Paul discharged. 

House of Lords 

• Lord Lipsey (Labour, life peer) died on 1 July. 
• Lord Prior of Brampton was a non-affiliated peer; now a Conservative peer. 
• Committees: Northern Ireland Scrutiny – Lord McInnes of Kilwinning discharged. 

Devolved Administrations

Scottish Government

• Prof Calum Semple appointed as the Scottish Government’s chief scientific adviser for three years from 5 August.
• Deborah O’Brien Demick appointed as HM Chief Inspector of Prosecution in Scotland from 14 July, succeeding Laura Paton.
• Scottish Funding Council Board – Prof Cara Aitchison appointed as chair for four years from 4 July until 4 July 2029.

Welsh Government

• Dr James Calvert appointed as deputy chief medical officer for Wales.
• Board of Natural Resources Wales – Karen Balmer appointed as temporary board member from 1 July until 31 March 2026.

Northern Ireland Assembly

• Education Committee – David Brooks added; Cheryl Brownlee discharged.

Northern Ireland Executive

• Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute Board – Siobhan McCauley appointed as deputy chair until 30 June 2028; Dr Xiaohui Chen, Dr David Graham, Brian McTeggart, Prof Nigel Scollan, Dr Esther Skelly-Smith, Joseph Stewart, Derek Wilson and Dr Vanessa Woods appointed as members until 30 June 2028; Bill Montgomery and Thérèse Rafferty re-appointed as members until 30 June 2028.
• Belfast Harbour Commissioners – Dr Theresa Donaldson re-appointed as chair of the board for four years from 1 July.
• Independent Panel to review Baseline School Funding Provided Through the Common Funding Formula – Peter May appointed as chair; Edwin Barr and Dr Eemer Eivers appointed as members. The report is due by the end of November.
• Public Sector Transformation Board – Gareth Hetherington and Prof HelenMcCarthy appointed as members.
• Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland – Bernie McNally’s term as chair extended from 3 July until 2 July 2026.

Local Authorities

Councils

• South Ayrshire Council – Cleland Sneddon appointed as interim chief executive from August.
• West Lindsey District Council – Ian Knowles stood down as chief executive.
• City of York Council – Ian Floyd to retire as chief operating officer and head of paid service at Easter 2026.

Combined Authorities

• Tees Valley Combined Authority – Tom Bryant appointed as chief executive.

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