Latest civil service & public affairs moves – 8 June

UK government

• Prime Minister's Office: National Security and Intelligence – Adrian Bird appointed as chair of Joint Intelligence Committee and head of the Joint Intelligence Organisation, succeeding Dame Madeleine Alessandri. 
• Department for Business and Trade – Andrew Lewin appointed as PPS. Professional and Business Services Council: Marco Amitrano appointed as business co-chair for two years from 1 June; Baroness Lloyd of Effra continues as government co-chair. 
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport – Arts Council England: Dawn Airey appointed as chair for four years from 1 August. Horserace Betting Levy Board: Catherine Colloms appointed as member from 1 January 2027 until 31 December 2030. Tate Board: Kwame Kwei-Armah re-appointed as board member for four years until 6 January 2030; Anya Hindmarch, Danny Rimer and Lord Vaizey of Didcot’s term as board members extended for nine months until 6 October.  
• Ministry of Defence – Baggy Shanker MP appointed as PPS. 
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Alistair White appointed as British high commissioner to Belize from June, succeeding Nicole Davison. Dr David Hall appointed as ambassador to the Republic of Djibouti from October, succeeding Vinay Talwar who will be transferring to another diplomatic service appointment. Stephen Lillie appointed as ambassador to the Hellenic Republic from September,  succeeding Matthew James Lodge who will be moving on secondment to another Whitehall department. Nicola Pollitt appointed as ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand from August, succeeding Mark Gooding who will be transferring to another diplomatic service appointment. 
• Department of Health and Social Care: Care Quality Commission: Kay Boycott appointed as interim chair from 1 June until 31 July. Advisory Committee on Clinical Impact Awards: Daniele Bryden appointed as medical director for three years from 1 July. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency: Jason Bonander appointed as chief digital and technology officer from 27 May. 
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – Local Audit Office: Bill Butler announced as government’s preferred candidate for chair. Planning Inspectorate: Ben Alexander appointed as chair of the advisory board for four years from 1 July. Regulator of Social Housing: Kate Dodsworth appointed as deputy chief executive from 1 June. 
• Ministry of Justice – direct ministerial appointments: Prof Christina Pagel appointed as operational researcher for 12 months and Prof Martin Utley appointed as operational researcher for six months as advisers on court efficiency and modernisation by the minister for courts and legal services. Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody: Dr Jake Hard re-appointed as member for three years from 1 July 2026; Prof Seena Fazel re-appointed as member for three years from 1 October 2026. Judicial Appointments Commission: Lynne Berry announced as preferred candidate for the role of chair, subject to preappointment hearing by the Justice Select Committee. Sentencing Council for England and Wales: Tim De Meyer re-appointed as policing Member from 1 July until 30 June 2027. 
• Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Office of Communications – Sir Ian Cheshire appointed as chair, succeeding Lord Grade of Yarmouth. 
• Department for Transport – Tim Blackmore to retire as traffic commissioner for the West Midlands. 
• HM Treasury: National Wealth Fund – Nigel Topping re-appointed as non-executive director for four years from June; Tania Songini re-appointed as non-executive director for two years from June; Marianne Økland re-appointed as non-executive director for one year from June. 
• Department for Work and Pensions: DWP departmental board – Marc Bolland appointed as lead non-executive director. Social Security Advisory Committee: Dr Sam Royston appointed member for five years from 1 July; Daphne Hall and Dr Suzy Walton re-appointed as members from 1 January 2027 until 31 December 2031. 
• Non-ministerial departments – Government Social Research Profession: Catherine Hutchinson appointed as head, succeeding Jenny Dibden. 

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons 

• Committees – Backbench Business: Jonathan Davies, Mary Glindon, Alison Hume, Will Stone and  Martin Vickers re-appointed as members. UK Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: Brendan O’Hara added; Stephen Gethins discharged. 

House of Lords 

• Lord Rennard’s suspension from the Liberal Democrats lifted.
• Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale (Lab) died on 28 May. 
• The Bishop of Chichester retired from the Lords on 31 May. 
• Lord Cromwell (CB, former hereditary peer) created a life peer as Baron Cromwell of Tattershall on 1 June.
• The Duke of Wellington (CB, former hereditary peer) created a life peer as Baron Wellington of Stratfield Say on 1 June. 
• Lord Altrincham (Con, former hereditary peer) created a life peer as Baron Altrincham of Islington on 2 June. 
• The Earl of Effingham (Con, former hereditary peer) created a life peer as Baron Effingham of Bookham Commons on 2 June. 
• Viscount Stansgate (Lab, former hereditary peer) created a life peer as Baron Stansgate of Holland Park on 3 June.
• Lord Strathclyde (Con, former hereditary peer) created a life peer as Baron Strathclyde of Barskimming on 3 June. 
• The Earl of Clancarty (CB, former hereditary peer) created a life peer as Baron Clancarty of the Hangers on 4 June. 
• Lord Moynihan (Con, former hereditary peer) created a life peer as Baron Moynihan of Purbeck on 4 June.
• Lord de Mauley (Con, former hereditary peer) created a life peer as Baron de Mauley of Canford on 5 June. 
• The Viscount Goschen (Con, former hereditary peer) created a life peer as Hawkhurst on 5 June. 
• Committees – Baroness Brown of Silvertown, Lord Gardiner of  Kimble, Lord Goddard of Stockport, Baroness Hunt of Bethnal Green and Baroness Nichols of Selby appointed as deputy chairmen of committees for this session; Baroness Barker, Lord Beith, Baroness Bull, Lord Duncan of Springbank, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Baroness Fookes, Baroness Garden of Frognal, Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill, Lord Hogan-Howe, Baroness Kennedy of Cradley, Lord Kennedy of Southwark, Earl of Kinnoull, Baroness Laing of Elderslie, Lord Lexden, Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall, Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, Baroness Morris of Bolton, Baroness Pitkeathley, Baroness Scott of Needham Market, Baroness Watkins of Tavistock, Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Young of Cookham re-appointed as deputy chairmen of committees for this session; Lord Stoneham of Droxford discharged. Built Environment: Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon added. Joint Committee on Consolidation, &c, Bills: Baroness Gill added. Domestic Abuse Act 2021: Baroness Hyde of Bemerton added. Environment and Climate Change: Baroness Rafferty added. Hybrid Instruments: Lord Lisvane added. Liaison: Baroness Gill added; Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon discharged. Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology Board: Baroness Nargund added; Lord Mair re-appointed. Public Services: Lord Barber of Chittlehampton added. Secondary Legislation Scrutiny: Lord John of Southwark added. UK Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: Baroness Griffin of Princethorpe added; Baroness Drake discharged. 

Devolved Administrations 

Scottish Parliament 

• Parliamentary Bureau – Kenneth Gibson appointed as convener; Max Bannerman, Neil Bibby and Jamie Hepburn appointed as members; Tim Eagle and Willie Rennie, Lorna Slater re-appointed as members. 

Scottish Government 

• Borders NHS Board – Fiona Sandford appointed as chair for four years until 31 March 2030. 
• Orkney NHS Board – David Campbell appointed as chair for four years until April 2030. 
• Public Health Scotland Board – Carron McDiarmid re-appointed as member for four years from 1 August until 31 July 2030. 
• Scottish Ambulance Service Board – Paul Gray appointed as member for four years until 30 April 2030; Prof Sir Keith Willett appointed as member for four years from 1 July until 30 June 2030. 
• Scottish Police Authority Board – Alasdair Hay appointed as chair for four years until 29 March 2030. 

Welsh Parliament 

• Senedd Commission – Andrew RT Davies, Vikki Howells, Laura Anne Jones and Peredur Owen Griffiths appointed as members. 

Northern Ireland Assembly 

• Doug Beattie, MLA for Upper Bann, resigned from the UUP on 31 May; now sits as an independent. 
• Assembly and Executive Review Committee – Deborah Erskine added. 
• Executive Office Committee – Deborah Erskine added; Pam Cameron discharged. 

Northern Ireland Executive 

• Sport NI – Alison Nicholl re-appointed to the board until 31 March 2030.  

Local Authorities  

Greenwich Council – Debbie Warren to stand down as chief executive.

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