Clerk of the House of Commons
The Queen has been pleased to approve that Mr David Natzler be appointed Under Clerk of the Parliaments (Clerk of the House of Commons).
The Queen has been pleased to approve that Mr David Natzler be appointed Under Clerk of the Parliaments (Clerk of the House of Commons). in succession to Lord Lisvane KCB (formerly Sir Robert Rogers KCB) who retired in August 2014.
Notes for editors
Recruitment process
Her Majesty’s approval of the appointment of Mr Natzler followed an open competition and selection process comprising of an independent non-executive member and four MPs including Rt Hon John Bercow MP (Speaker of the House of Commons), Rt Hon William Hague MP (Leader of the House), Angela Eagle MP (Shadow Leader of the House), Rt Hon John Thurso MP (Chair of the Finance & Services Committee) and Liz McMeikan.
David Natzler biography
David Lionel Natzler is, at present, Acting Clerk of the House. He has held this position since September 2014. David entered the House Service in 1975. He has held a number of senior appointments within the Department of Chamber and Committee Services, incorporating the former Clerks’ department. He has been Clerk to a number of Select Committees, Social Services 1981-1985, Procedure 1995-1997 and Trade and Industry 1997-2001. He was Principal Clerk of Committees 2001-2004, Secretary to the House of Commons Commission 2004-2006, Principal Clerk of the Table Office 2006-2008, Clerk of Legislation 2009-2011 and Clerk Assistant 2011-2014. David is married with two sons and one daughter.
Role of the Clerk of the House
The role has been revised following the report of the House of Commons Governance Committee, published on 16 December 2014, which was accepted by the House on 22 January 2015.
The Clerk of the House of Commons is appointed by the Crown as the chief adviser to the House on matters of parliamentary procedure, privilege and broader constitutional issues. The post holder is also head of the House Service, and is line manager for the Director General of the House of Commons.
This post requires experience in high-level decision-making, strong interpersonal skills, political impartiality and detailed knowledge of the practices and procedures of the House of Commons. The Clerk will be a member of both the House of Commons Commission and the Executive Committee.