Political Updates 3rd February 2020

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

UK Government

Her Majesty the Queen has approved the appointment of Major General James Swift as Chief of Defence People to succeed Lieutenant General Richard Edward Nugee.

The Queen is pleased to appoint Ms Elizabeth Elaine Grieve as Her Majesty’s twenty-first Lord-Lieutenant for Orkney.

Major General Monro appointed as Lord-Lieutenant for Moray.

Strategic Command – Ian Smith and Matthew Postgate appointed as Non-Executive Directors.

Scientific Advisory Board of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons – Norman Govan appointed to the board.

David Seymour named as Independent Reviewer for the Northern Ireland Office.

Northern Ireland Committee on Protection – Brian Barker reappointed as Independent Reviewer of National Security Arrangements and Chair of the Northern Ireland Committee on Protection.

Bridget Brind has been appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Thorhilda Abbott has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Kingdom of Tonga.

Professor Andrew Wathey CBE appointed interim Chair of the Student Loans Company

Marine Management Organisation – Terence Delahunty and Tony Jagger reappointed to the board.

Migration Advisory Committee – Alan Manning has his term as Chair extended.

Phillip King has been appointed interim Small Business Commissioner.

Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers has today confirmed Sir William Worsley as the new Chair of Forestry Commission.

Dr Noman Govan has been appointed to the Scientific Advisory Board of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The Queen has approved the appointment of Rt Hon Lord Hodge as Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

David Goldstone to stand down as Chief Operating Officer for the Ministry of Defence.

   House of Commons

Zarah Sultana MP has joined the Shadow International Development team, as Dan Carden MP’s Parliamentary Private Secretary.

The following Select Committee Chairs have been announced, following a nomination period that ran from 16-27 January.
13 Chairs were elected uncontested once the nomination period ended, and the rest were elected through a secret ballot on 29^th January:

Backbench Business Committee – Ian Mearns re-elected as Chair unopposed.

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee – Rachel Reeves re-elected as Chair unopposed.

Defence Committee – Tobias Ellwood elected as Chair.

Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Committee – Julian Knight elected as Chair.

Education Committee – Robert Halfon re-elected as Chair unopposed.

Environmental Audit Committee – Philip Dunne elected as Chair.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee – Neil Parish re-elected as Chair unopposed.

Exiting the EU Committee – Hilary Benn re-elected as Chair unopposed.

Foreign Affairs Committee – Tom Tugendhat re-elected as Chair.

Health and Social Care Committee – Jeremy Hunt elected as Chair.

Home Affairs Committee – Yvette Cooper re-elected as Chair unopposed.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee – Clive Betts re-elected as Chair unopposed.

International Development Committee – Sarah Champion elected as Chair.

International Trade Committee – Angus MacNeil re-elected as Chair.

Justice Committee – Robert Neill re-elected as Chair.

Northern Ireland Affairs Committee – Simon Hoare re-elected as Chair.

Petitions Committee – Catherine McKinnell elected as Chair.

Procedure Committee – Karen Bradley elected as Chair.

Public Accounts Committee – Meg Hillier re-elected as Chair unopposed.

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs – William Wragg elected as Chair.

Science and Technology Committee – Greg Clark elected as Chair.

Scottish Affairs Committee – Pete Wishart re-elected as Chair unopposed.

Standards Committee – Kate Green re-elected as Chair unopposed.

Transport Committee – Huw Merriman elected as Chair.

Treasury Committee – Mel Stride re-elected as Chair unopposed.

Welsh Affairs Committee – Stephen Crabb elected as Chair unopposed.

Women and Equalities Committee – Caroline Nokes elected as Chair unopposed.

Work and Pensions Committee – Stephen Timms re-elected as Chair.

Tom Warnett and Howard Beckett have been appointed as trade union members for the National Executive Committee.