Latest civil service & public affairs moves – January 22

UK Government

• Prime Minister's Office – The Reverend Canon Toby Wright appointed as Dean of Wells, succeeding The Very Reverend Dr John Davies.
• Department for Business and Trade: Trade Remedies Authority – Nick Baird CMG CVO appointed as chair for three years.
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport: National Heritage Memorial Fund and National Lottery Heritage Fund – James Twining appointed as trustee and audit and risk chair for three years until 31 November 2026. National Records and Archives – Martin Howard, Dr Leon Litvack, Helene Pantelli and David Rossington re-appointed as members for four years.
• Ministry of Defence: Royal Hospital Chelsea – Richard Swallow appointed as specially appointed commissioner to the board of commissioners until 30 September 2026.
• Department for Education: LocatED – Mark Prisk appointed as chair for three years.
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Food Standards Agency – Dr Timothy Riley appointed as deputy chair for three years.
• Department of Health and Social Care – Professor Dame Lesley Regan re-appointed as Women’s Health Ambassador for England for two years. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority – Julia Chain has been re-appointed as the chair for three years from 1 April; Catharine Seddon re-appointed as deputy chair, non-executive member and chair of the Audit and Governance Committee for three years from 18 January; Tim Child re-appointed as non-executive member for three  years from 18 January.
• Ministry of Justice: Gov Facilities Services Ltd – Ian Deninson re-appointed as non-executive director for three years from 24 May. HM Courts and Tribunal Service – Nick Fishwick appointed as non-executive director to the board. Insolvency Rules Committee – Alison Curry re-appointed as accountant member for two years from 1 August.
• Law Officers: Attorney General’s Office – Tom Little KC appointed as first senior treasury counsel to the Crown from 1 April.
• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman – Amerdeep Somal appointed as ombudsman from 1 February.
• Department for Transport: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency – Charmion Pears, Stephen Tetlow and Sarah Williams-Gardener appointed as non-executive directors to the board.
• Department for Work and Pensions: Social Security Advisory Committee – Les Allamby, Rachel Chiu, Daphne Hall, Stephen Hardy, Jacob Meagher and Suzy Walton appointed as members; Bruce Calderwood re-appointed as member for three years.

Houses of Parliament

House of Commons

• Tony Lloyd, MP for Rochdale, died on 17 January.
• Defence Select Committee election – Jeremy Quin elected as chair on 17 January.
• Culture, Media and Sport Committee – Alex Sobel added; Kevin Brennan discharged.
• Holocaust Memorial Bill Select Committee – Lia Nici added; Katherine Fletcher discharged.
• Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament – Angela Eagle added; Maria Eagle discharged.
• Joint Committee on Human Rights – Joanna Cherry replaced Harriet Harman as chair.
• Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy – Liam Byrne added; Darren Jones discharged.
• Liaison Committee – Joanna Cherry and Jeremy Quin added.
• Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission – Simon Hoare added; Lee Rowley discharged.

House of Lords

• Windsor Framework Sub-Committee – Lord Lexden added.

Devolved Administrations

Welsh Government

• Food and Drink Wales Industry Board – Graham Black, Valerie Creusailor, Alison Harvey, Alison Lea-Wilson, David Lloyd and Andy Richardson appointed as members.

Local Authorities

• City of Lincoln Council – Ric Metcalfe to retire as council leader in May.
• Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council – Brent Davis to retire as chief executive in May.
• Orkney Islands Council – James Stockan to retire as council leader on 5 February.
• Wakefield Council – Andrew Balchin to retire as chief executive at the end of March.

Police and Crime Commissioners

• Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner – Jeff Cuthbert has temporarily stepped back as Police and Crime Commissioner to recover from a period of ill health; deputy police and crime commissioner; Eleri Thomas appointed as acting police and crime commissioner until PCC Cuthbert is able to return.

Industry

Interest Groups

• Asthma + Lung UK – Sarah Sleet appointed as chief executive from early April.
• Combat Stress – Jeff Harrison to retire as chief executive.
• Mencap – Jon Sparkes appointed as chief executive from June.
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution – Peter Sparkes appointed as chief executive from 26 June.

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