Chair, Charity Commission

The Rt Hon Baroness Stowell of Beeston MBE

Contents

Biography

Baroness Tina Stowell joined the Charity Commission as Chair in February 2018.

She joined the House of Lords as a backbencher in January 2011 and was promoted to the government front bench in September the same year. She was Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal from July 2014 until July 2016.

Education

She was educated at Chilwell Comprehensive School and Broxtowe College of Further Education. In December 2016 she received an Honorary Doctorate from Nottingham University.

Political career

After entering the House of Lords in January 2011, Baroness Stowell was promoted to the front bench as a government whip in September 2011.

As a junior minister she led the landmark Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act through the House of Lords and was also Minister for Communities. She co-chaired the Joint Select Committee of both Houses whose recommendations for the major programme of restoration and repair works to the Palace of Westminster were accepted by Parliament in February 2018.

Career before Parliament

Baroness Stowell was a civil servant between 1986 and 1996, including at the Ministry of Defence, the British Embassy in Washington and 10 Downing Street. After leaving the civil service she worked in the private sector for a couple of years, mainly in the media sector. She also served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Conservative Party between 1998 and 2001. After working for the Conservative Party, she moved to the BBC and spent time in various roles, including as Head of Corporate Affairs between 2008 and 2010.

Personal life

Baroness Stowell was awarded her MBE for services to the Prime Minister’s Office in 1996. She is currently a member of the House of Lords Communications Select Committee and sits on the boards of ABTA Ltd and Impellam Group plc.

Chair, Charity Commission

The Chair is responsible for effectively and accurately representing the views of the Charity Commission Board in:

• directing the commission’s strategic development, policies and plans
• communicating the commission’s plans and achievements to charities and their users, commission staff, the government and the public
• developing the commission’s relationships with government, sector bodies and other major stakeholders

The Chair leads the board in making sure the Charity Commission:

• carries out its statutory duties and responsibilities and exercises its legal powers appropriately
• carries out the board’s plans for the future, including its contribution to legislative reform
• carries out its services in line with agreed targets

The Charity Commission

Previous roles in government

1. Lord Privy Seal

   • 2014 to 2016

2. Leader of the House of Lords

   • 2014 to 2016

3. Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

   • 2013 to 2014

4. Spokesman and Whip in the House of Lords, Baroness in Waiting

   • 2011 to 2013

Announcements

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1. New Chair of Charity Commission gives first major speech
   • 16 April 2018
   • Speech
2. Baroness Stowell's speech at Safeguarding Summit
   • 5 March 2018
   • Speech
3. Strathclyde Review: statement by Baroness Stowell
   • 4 November 2015
   • Written statement
4. Military Medals Review
   • 29 July 2014
   • Written statement
5. New fund to help councils fight fraud
   • 2 July 2014
   • Press release
6. The Infrastructure Bill and public forests
   • 1 July 2014
   • Government response
7. Formal response to Nottingham City Council about reports in the media about alleged DCLG property
   • 25 April 2014
   • Correspondence
8. Government closes the net on tenancy cheats
   • 7 April 2014
   • Press release
9. Communities Minister attends historic Consistory Mass in Rome
   • 20 February 2014
   • News story
10. Stepping up the fight against fraud
    • 10 December 2013
    • Press release

View all announcements