Political Updates 13th November 2017

This week’s Political Updates, covers moves and changes at all levels of government. 

  Government Departments

• Priti Patel resigned as Secretary of State for International Development.
• Chris Pincher resigned as a Whip.
• Penny Mordaunt has been appointed as Secretary of State for International Development (previously Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions).
• Sarah Newton has been appointed as Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions. (previously Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office).
• Victoria Atkins has been appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office. (previously Parliamentary Private Secretary to Leader of the House of Lords).

Department of Health

• Stephen Powis has replaced Bruce Keog as National Medical Director of NHS England. 

Ministry of Justice

• Celia Hughes has been reappointed as Commissioner of the Criminal Cases Review Commission. 

Ombudman

• Rebecca Marsh has been appointed Chief Ombudsman (effective January).

Cabinet Office

• Patrick Vallance has been appointed Chief Scientific Adviser at the Cabinet Office, starting in the Spring.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

• Beth McHattie has been appointed as a member of the Churches Conservation Trust.

House of Commons

• Charlie Elphicke has been suspended from the Conservative Party
• James Cleverly, Mims Davies, Chris Elmore, Patrick Grady, Eddie Hughes, Imran Hussain, Stephen Kerr, Conor McGinn, Amanda Milling, Grahame Morris, Melanie Onn and Julian Sturdy have been appointed as members of the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills.
• Bim Afolami, Andrew Bridgen, Douglas Chapman, Julie Elliott, Kirstene Hair, Simon Hoare, Graham Jones, Helen Jones, Kevan Jones, Conor McGinn, Stephen McPartland, Mark Menzies, Jeremy Quin and Karl Turner have been appointed as members of the Regualtory Reform Committee. 
• Patrick Grady has been appointed as a member of the Administration Committee.
• Geraint Davies has been appointed as a member of the European Scrutiny Committee.
• Joanna Cherry has been appointed as a member of the Joint Committee on Human Rights. 

House of Lords

• Richard John Carew Chartres has joined the House of Lords as Lord Chartres.
• Bernard Hogan-Howe has joined the House of Lords as Lord Hogan-Howe.
• Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Lord Lexden, Baroness Newlove, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill and Lord Rogan have been appointed as members of the Chairmen of Committees.
• Lord Brennan, Lord Campbell of Pittenweem, Lord Hamilton of Epsom, Lord Harris of Haringey, Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill, Baroness Henig, Lord King of Bridgwater, Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho, Lord Powell of Bayswater and Lord Trimble have been appointed as members of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy.
• Lord Gilbert of Panteg has been appointed as Chair of the Communications Committee. Baroness Stowell of Beeston and Lord Goodlad have also been appointed as members, replacing Lord Henley and Lord Finkelstein.
• Baroness Eaton has replaced Baroness Stedman-Scott as a member of the Citizenship and Civic Engagement Committee. 

Scottish Parliament

• Mark McDonald has resigned as Minister for Children and Early Years.
• Marie Todd has been appointed as Minster for Children and Early Years.
• Emma Harper has replaced Marie Todd as a member of the Finance and Consitution Committee.
• Kate Forbes has replaced Emma Harper as a member of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee. 

National Assembly for Wales

• Former Cabient Secretary for Communities and Children and Labour Assembly Member for Alyn and Deeside, Carl Sargeant, died on 7th November.

European Parliament

This week, the European Parliament will be holding plenary sessions in Strasbourg.