Senior Appointments
15 November 2007
The Prime Minister has been pleased to approve the appointments of Alex Allan as Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee and Head of Intelligence Assessment, and Sir Suma Chakrabarti KCB as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice in succession to Mr Allan.
Joint Intelligence Committee
In his statement to the House of Commons in July 2007, the Prime Minister announced his intention to separate the position of Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee from the role of policy adviser to the Government, following the retirement of Sir Richard Mottram GCB.
The Prime Minister has been pleased to approve the appointment of Alex Allan, currently Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, to chair the Joint Intelligence Committee.
Ministry of Justice
The Prime Minister has been pleased to approve the appointment of Sir Suma Chakrabarti KCB, currently Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Development, as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice is succession to Alex Allan.
These appointments will take effect shortly.
Notes for Editors
- In his statement to the House of Commons on 25 July, the Prime Minister announced that procedures would be put in place to separate the role of Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee and Head of Intelligence Assessment from the role of security and intelligence adviser and coordinator to the Government, in line with the provisions of the Butler Report and building on what had already been done to implement the report. On the same day, the Cabinet Office announced that Robert Hannigan, formerly political director of the Northern Ireland Office, would fill the policy adviser and coordinator role. Mr Hannigan has already taken up post.
- The appointment of Alex Allan has been approved by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the Cabinet Secretary, with the agreement of the First Civil Service Commissioner. As Mr Allan is a serving Permanent Secretary, this is a managed move.
- Alex Allan, 56, took up the post of Permanent Secretary at the Department for Constitutional Affairs on 1 August 2004 and became Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice on the creation of the department in May 2007. From 1973 to 1992 he had various appointments in Customs & Excise and HM Treasury. From 1992-1997 he was Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister (John Major to April 1997 and Tony Blair to Aug 1997). From 1997-1999 he was British High Commissioner to Australia. From 1999-2000 he was E-envoy for the British Government and from 2001- 2004 he moved to live in western Australia where he worked on a range of IT, government and international issues.
- The appointment of Sir Suma Chakrabarti KCB has also been approved by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the Cabinet Secretary, with the agreement of the First Civil Service Commissioner. As Sir Suma is also a serving Permanent Secretary, this again is a managed move.
- Sir Suma Chakrabarti KCB, 48, became Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Development in February 2002. After spending two years in Botswana on an Overseas Development Institute Fellowship, he joined the Overseas Development Administration in 1984 In the late 1980s he went as part of the UK Delegation to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington as the Executive Director’s Assistant. Returning to the UK, he held senior positions in the ODA, HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office, and took a senior role in DFID in 2001 before being appointed its Permanent Secretary the following year.
- These appointments will take effect in due course. In the short interlude before Alex Allan takes up his post as JIC Chairman, the Cabinet Office will, later today make an announcement about the interim arrangements for chairing the Committee.
- The Cabinet Office will today begin a process of open competition to select a successor for Sir Suma as Permanent Secretary at DFID.
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