Latest civil service & public affairs moves – 3 November

UK government

• Department for Business and Trade: Smart Data Council – Samantha Seaton appointed as co-chair.
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Arts Council England – William Bush and Deborah Shaw re-appointed as national council members for four years. Wallace Collection – Alison Taylor re-appointed as trustee for four years from 1 December.
• Ministry of Defence – Jeremy Pocklington appointed as permanent secretary, succeeding David Williams who is leaving the civil service. Pocklington is currently permanent secretary at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Current DESNZ second perm sec Clive Maxwell will take over as interim perm sec from the end of November until a permanent replacement is found.
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Wilton Park – Felix Dane appointed as non-executive director for three years from 1 November.
• Department of Health and Social Care: Human Tissue Authority – Professor Lynne Berry re-appointed as chair from 18 November until 3 January 2027.
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Regulator of Social Housing – Fiona MacGregor to stand down as chief executive from the end of April 2026.
• Ministry of Justice – Dame Lynne Owens appointed to chair independent investigation into the release of Hadush Kebatu which is due to report within eight weeks. Civil Justice Council – Dr John Sorabji and Kate Pasfield appointed as non-judicial members for three years. Judicial Appointments Commission – Hon Mr Justice Adam Johnson re-appointed as senior judicial commissioner for one year. Law Commission – Claire Bassett and Dr Hannah White re-appointed as non-executive directors for three years from 27 September 2026.
• HM Treasury – Tom Riordan appointed as government envoy for the ‘Northern Growth Corridor’.  Council of Economic Advisers – David Sturrock appointed as economic adviser to the chancellor and member of the council.
• Department for Work and Pensions: The Timms Review – Dr Clenton Farquharson and Sharon Brennan appointed as co-chairs and are due to report by autumn 2026.
• Non-ministerial departments: Charity Commission – Joseph Colley and Ryan Davies, of Moore Kingston Smith & Partners LLP, appointed as interim managers of Seven Dials Playhouse Limited.

House of Commons

Committees

• Business and Trade – Daniel Aldridge and Justin Madders added; Gregor Poynton and Rosie Wrighting discharged.
• Culture, Media and Sport – Vicky Foxcroft, Anneliese Midgley and Jeff Smith added; James Frith, Tom Rutland and Paul Waugh discharged.
• Education – Peter Swallow and Chris Vince added; Amanda Martin and Marie Tidball discharged.
• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Terry Jermy added; Andrew Pakes discharged.
• Foreign Affairs – Fleur Anderson added; Blair McDougall discharged.
• Home Affairs – Lewis Atkinson, Peter Prinsley and Jo White added; Shaun Davies, Conor Rand and Jake Richards discharged.
• Housing, Communities and Local Government – Andrew Cooper and Sean Woodcock added; Naushabah Khan and Joe Powell discharged.
• International Development – Janet Daby added; Alice MacDonald discharged.
• Justice – Tony Vaughan added; Mike Tapp discharged.
• Public Accounts – Catherine McKinnell and Tristan Osborne added; Nesil Caliskan and Luke Charters discharged.
• Science, Innovation and Technology – Samantha Niblett and Daniel Zeichner added; Jon Pearce and Steve Race discharged.
• Speaker’s Conference – published its final report on 27 October.
• Transport – Jacob Collier added; Catherine Atkinson discharged.
• Treasury – Jim Dickson, Luke Murphy and Catherine West added; Rachel Blake, Lola McEvoy and Jeevun Sandher discharged.
• Women and Equalities – Kim Leadbeater, Kevin McKenna and Nadia Whittome added; Kirith Entwistle, Natalie Fleet and Catherine Fookes discharged.
• Work and Pensions – Rushanara Ali, David Baines and Lee Barron added; Gill German, Frank McNally and David Pinto-Duschinsky discharged.

House of Lords

• Baroness Meacher (Crossbench) retired from the House on 28 October.

Committees

• Conduct – Alexandra Marks and Sandra Paul appointed as external members from 5 November; Cindy Butts and Andrea Coomber discharged.

Parties

Labour Party

• Deputy leadership election results – announced on 25 October: Lucy Powell elected as deputy leader with 54 per cent of the vote.

Devolved Administrations

Scottish Government

• Crofting Commission – Fiona McLeman and Stephen Webster appointed as members for four years until 21 October 2029.
• Scottish Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce – announced on 29 October and will be chaired by the minister for public health and women’s health.

Northern Ireland Executive

• Office of Identity and Cultural Expression – Dr Katy Radford appointed as director for five years from 13 November; Brian Dougherty, Ellen Finlay, Stephen Moore, Dr Callie Persic and Dr Jacqueline Witherow appointed as members for five years.
• Pól Deeds appointed as Irish language commissioner for five years from 13 November.
• Lee Reynolds appointed as commissioner for the Ulster Scots and the Ulster British tradition for five years from 13 November.
• Invest NI – Alison Currie appointed as chief development officer.

Local Authorities

Councils

• East Surrey and West Surrey Unitary Authorities to be created from April 2027, replacing Surrey’s existing county council and 11 district and borough councils.

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