Guidance

Honours committees

This page provides information on how honours committees are made up and who the current members are.

Honours committees are made up of senior civil servants (‘official members’) and people who are independent of government (‘independent members’). All honours committees have a majority of members who are independent.

Each honours committee has an independent chairperson. A representative from 10 Downing Street is invited to attend all committee meetings.

Honours committees review honours nominations for people involved in specific activities (like arts and media or sport) which are then sent to the Main Honours Committee.

Main committee

Members:

  • Sir Chris Wormald KCB
  • The Cabinet Secretary
  • Chair of Arts and Media Committee: John Booth
  • Chair of Community and Voluntary Services Committee: The Rt Hon Nick Hurd
  • Chair of Economy Committee: Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia DBE CVO FRSE
  • Chair of Education Committee: Sir Hamid Patel CBE
  • Chair of Health and Social Care Committee: Dame Jane Dacre DBE
  • Chair of Parliamentary and Political Service Committee: The Lord Sherbourne of Didsbury CBE
  • Chair of Public Service Committee: Vacancy
  • Chair of Science, Technology and Research Committee: Stephen Kelly
  • Chair of Sport Committee: The Rt Hon Sir Hugh Robertson KCMG DL
  • Chair of State Committee: Mark Addison CB
  • The Permanent Under Secretary, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
  • The Chief of the Defence Staff

Arts and Media

John Booth - Chair, National Gallery and Prince’s Trust (Independent Chair)

Independent members:

  • Sir Peter Bazalgette - Chair, ITV
  • Sir Nicholas Kenyon CBE - Managing Director, Barbican Centre
  • Kanya King CBE - CEO, MOBO Organisation Ltd
  • Caroline Michel - Chair, Hay Literary Festival
  • Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE - Freelance Arts Professional
  • Samir Shah CBE - CEO, Juniper
  • 1 x vacancy

Official members:

  • Susannah Storey CB - Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
  • John-Paul Marks CB - Permanent Secretary, Scottish Government

Community and Voluntary Service

Chair: The Rt Hon Nick Hurd (Independent Chair)

Independent members:

  • Rabbi Dr Harvey Belovski - Emeritus Rabbi, Golders Green Synagogue; Chief Strategist and Rabbinic Head, University Jewish Chaplaincy
  • Carly Jones MBE - Autism Advocate
  • Ros Kerslake CBE - Chief Executive, National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Heritage Memorial Fund
  • Adeeba Malik CBE - Deputy Chief Executive, QED UK
  • 2 x Vacancies

Official members:

  • Susannah Storey CB - Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
  • Sarah Healey CB – Permanent Secretary, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
  • Dr Andrew Goodall CBE - Permanent Secretary, Welsh Government

The Economy

Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia DBE CVO FRSE (Independent Chair)

Independent members:

  • Sir Douglas Flint CBE – Chairman, Standard Life Aberdeen
  • Dame Vivian Hunt DBE - Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
  • Dr Gerard Lyons - Chief Economic Strategist, Netwealth
  • 2 x Vacancies

Official members:

  • Gareth Davies CB - Permanent Secretary, Department for Business and Trade
  • Jeremy Pocklington CB - Permanent Secretary, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
  • John-Paul Marks CB - Permanent Secretary, Scottish Government
  • James Bowler CB - Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury

Education

Sir Hamid Patel CBE - Chief Executive, Star Academies (independent chair)

Independent members:

  • Dame Sally Coates DBE - Director of Secondary Education, United Learning
  • Dame Sally Dicketts DBE - President, Association of Colleges
  • Sir Martyn Oliver - Chief Executive Officer, Outwood Grange Academies Trust
  • Dame Alison Peacock DBE DL - Chief Executive, Chartered College of Teaching
  • 2 x vacancies

Official members:

  • Jayne Brady MBE - Head of Northern Ireland Civil Service
  • Susan Acland-Hood – Permanent Secretary, Department for Education

Health and Social Care

Professor Dame Jane Dacre DBE - Professor of Medical Education, University College London and President, Medical Protection Society (independent chair)

Independent members:

  • Sir David Behan CBE – Chair, Health Education England
  • Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz – Chair, Cancer Research UK and Vice-Chancellor Emeritus, University of Cambridge
  • Dr Henrietta Hughes OBE - lately National Guardian for the NHS
  • The Baroness Harding of Winscombe - Chair of NHS Improvement
  • Professor Karen Middleton CBE - Chief Executive, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
  • Professor Iqbal Singh CBE - Chair, Centre of Excellence and Safety for Older People
  • 1 x Vacancy

Official members:

  • Professor Sir Chris Whitty KCB - Chief Medical Officer (England)
  • Shona Dunn – Second Permanent Secretary, Department of Health and Social Care
  • Judith Paget CBE - Director General, Department for Health, Social Services and Children, Welsh Government

Parliamentary and Political Service

The Lord Sherbourne of Didsbury CBE - Member, House of Lords (Independent chair)

Independent members:

  • Dr Sue Griffiths - Managing Director, Social Development Direct
  • The Rt Hon The Lord Haselhurst
  • Dame Denise Platt DBE – lately Member, General Medical Council and Solicitors Regulation Authority
  • 2 x Vacancy

Official members:

  • The Rt Hon Simon Hart MP - Government Chief Whip
  • The Rt Hon Sir Alan Campbell MP - Opposition Chief Whip

Public Service

1 x vacancy (Independent Chair)

Independent members:

  • Emir Feisal JP, Trustee, the Henry Smith Charity
  • Alistair Finlay OBE, Faculty Director of Operations, Queen’s University Belfast
  • Maggy Pigott CBE - Lately Joint CEO, Judicial Studies Board
  • Riaz Ravat BEM DL - Deputy Director, St Philip’s Centre
  • The Venerable Canon David Stanton - Archdeacon and Canon of Westminster Abbey

Official Members:

  • Susan Acland-Hood – Permanent Secretary, Department for Education
  • Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE – Permanent Secretary, Home Office
  • Sarah Healey CB – Permanent Secretary, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
  • Antonia Romeo - Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice
  • Dr Andrew Goodall CBE – Permanent Secretary, Welsh Government

Science, Technology and Research

Stephen Kelly - Chair, Tech Nation (independent chair)

Independent members:

  • Professor Sir Keith Burnett, CBE, FRS – Chair, Nuffield Foundation and Chair of the Academic Council, Schmidt Science Fellowship, University of Oxford.
  • Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser DBE – CEO, UK Research and Innovation
  • Professor Andrew Scott - Professor of Economics, London Business School
  • Professor Lionel Tarassenko CBE FREng - President, Reuben College, University of Oxford
  • 3 x Vacancies

Official members:

  • Professor Dame Angela McLean DBE FRS - Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government and Head, Government Office for Science
  • Professor Paul Monks, Chief Scientific Adviser, BEIS
  • Dr Alistair Carson, Chief Scientific Adviser, Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Sport

The Rt Hon Sir Hugh Robertson KCMG DL - Chair of the British Olympic Association

Independent members:

  • Pippa Britton OBE – Vice Chair, Sport Wales
  • Dame Liz Nicholl DBE – President, World Netball and lately Chief Executive, UK Sport
  • 3 x vacancies

Official members:

  • Susannah Storey CB - Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
  • Jayne Brady MBE - Head of Northern Ireland Civil Service

State

Chair - Mark Addison CB – Lately Public Appointments Assessor; lately Civil Service Commissioner; and Chair, Dorset County Hospital (independent chair)

Independent members:

  • Isabel Doverty MA, M.Sc, MCIPD - Civil Service Commissioner
  • Sir David Hempleman-Adams - Chair, Global Resins limited, Founder and Director of Hempleman Investment Company
  • Jenny Rowe CB - Former CEO, Supreme Court
  • Sir John Scarlett KCMG OBE - Chief, Secret Intelligence Service 2004-09
  • 1 x Vacancy

Official members:

  • Tamara Finkelstein CB - Permanent Secretary, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  • Sir Chris Wormald KCB

Diversity Committee

A group of independent committee members oversee the honours system’s work to embed diversity and equality. It meets twice a year to assess the statistical trends and to maintain momentum behind continuing improvements, and outreach activity.

The Diversity Committee’s purpose is to:

  • work to ensure the honours system is properly reflective of UK society;
  • support targeted regional and sectoral outreach and publicity of the honours system;
  • identify policy improvements or interventions regarding improving diversity in the honours system and make recommendations to the HD Committee;
  • recommend courses of action to the independent honours committees, honours secretaries and the Honours and Appointments Secretariat to improve diversity;
  • support the work of the independent committees by ensuring they are sighted on best practice in this area, remain mindful of and committed to diversity targets, and undertake discussions and the evaluation of candidates in an open and even handed way; and
  • support pipeline-building activities across all honours committees.

Chair - To be confirmed

Independent members:

  • Emir Feisal JP, Trustee, the Henry Smith Charity
  • Dr Sue Griffiths - Managing Director, Social Development Direct
  • Dame Denise Platt DBE – Member, General Medical Council and Member, Solicitors Regulation Authority
  • Jenny Rowe CB - Former CEO, Supreme Court
  • Prof Iqbal Singh OBE - Chair, Centre of Excellence and Safety for Older People (CESOP)
  • Sir Hamid Patel CBE - Chief Executive, Star Academies

Vacancies

From time to time, the Cabinet Office invites applications to fill vacancies on the committees.

Published 19 March 2013
Last updated 5 March 2024 + show all updates
  1. Removed Harris Bokhari - from the Community and Voluntary Service committee and updated Sir Matthew Rycroft's title

  2. Updated the details for the Public Service Independent members

  3. Updated the details for Rabbi Dr Harvey Belovski

  4. Updated current committee membership.

  5. Updated the title of the chair of the economy committee and replaced Sir Patrick Vallance KCB - Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government with Professor Dame Angela McLean DBE FRS - Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government and Head, Government Office for Science

  6. Made the following changes: 1) Under Arts and media, replaced: "Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne - Acting Joint Permanent Secretaries, Department for Culture, Media and Sport" WITH "Susannah Storey CB - Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport". 2) Under Community and voluntary service, replaced "Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne - Acting Joint Permanent Secretaries, Department for Culture, Media and Sport" WITH "Susannah Storey CB - Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport". 3) Under The Economy, removed "Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne - Acting Joint Permanent Secretaries, Department for Culture, Media and Sport". 4) Under Sport,replaced "Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne - Acting Joint Permanent Secretaries, Department for Culture, Media and Sport" WITH "Susannah Storey CB - Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport", b) replaced "Pippa Britton – Vice Chair, Sport Wales" WITH "Pippa Britton OBE – Vice Chair, Sport Wales", c) replaced "Liz Nicholl CBE – President, World Netball and lately Chief Executive, UK Sport" WITH "Dame Liz Nicholl DBE – President, World Netball and lately Chief Executive, UK Sport".

  7. Made the following changes: Under https://www.gov.uk/guidance/honours-committees#arts-and-media Replaced "Sarah Healey CB - Permanent Secretary, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport" with "Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne - Acting Joint Permanent Secretaries, Department for Culture, Media and Sport". Under https://www.gov.uk/guidance/honours-committees#community-and-voluntary-service Replaced "Sarah Healey CB - Permanent Secretary, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport" with "Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne - Acting Joint Permanent Secretaries, Department for Culture, Media and Sport". Replaced "Jeremy Pocklington CB – Permanent Secretary, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities" with "Sarah Healey CB – Permanent Secretary, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities". Under https://www.gov.uk/guidance/honours-committees#the-economy Replaced "Sarah Munby, Permanent Secretary, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy" with "Gareth Davies CB - Permanent Secretary, Department for Business and Trade". Replaced "Sarah Healey CB - Permanent Secretary, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport" with "Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne - Acting Joint Permanent Secretaries, Department for Culture, Media and Sport". Replaced "1 x Vacancy" with "James Bowler CB - Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury". Under https://www.gov.uk/guidance/honours-committees#public-service Replaced "Jeremy Pocklington CB – Permanent Secretary, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities" with "Sarah Healey CB – Permanent Secretary, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities". Under https://www.gov.uk/guidance/honours-committees#sport Replaced "Sarah Healey CB - Permanent Secretary, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport" with "Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne - Acting Joint Permanent Secretaries, Department for Culture, Media and Sport".

  8. Under Education, replaced Sally Dicketts CBE - President, Association of Colleges with Dame Sally Dicketts DBE - President, Association of Colleges. Under Parliamentary and political service, replaced Dame Denise Platt – Member, General Medical Council and Member, Solicitors Regulation Authority with Dame Denise Platt DBE – lately Member, General Medical Council and Solicitors Regulation Authority.

  9. Updated the committee members with the latest list

  10. Under subheading Main committee Removed "Sir Tom Scholar KCB - Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury (Chair)" Replaced with "To be confirmed (Chair)". Under subheading "Parliamentary and political service": Removed "The Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP - Government Chief Whip" Replaced with "The Rt Hon Wendy Morton MP - Government Chief Whip" Edited Added official title "Opposition Chief Whip" to "The Rt. Hon Sir Alan Campbell MP". Under "State" official members Removed "Sir Tom Scholar KCB - Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury" Replaced with "1 x Official Vacancy".

  11. Replaced: Harris Bokhari OBE -Co-founder of the Naz Legacy Foundation and Ambassador of British Asian Trust with Harris Bokhari OBE - Trustee, Natural History Museum

  12. Updated members of the Education committee.  Sir Hamid Patel has replaced Sir Daniel Moynihan as Chair.  Sally Dicketts CBE and Sir Martyn Oliver have been added as independent members.

  13. John Booth has replaced Rupert Gavin as Chair of Arts and Media Committee. Samir Shah has joined the Arts and Media Committee.

  14. Added the following committee members: Stephen Kelly (Chair of the Science and Technology Committee) John-Paul Marks (Arts and Media and Economy), Andrew Goodall (Community and Voluntary Service and Public Service), Judith Paget (Health) and Lionel Tarassenko (Science and Technology).

  15. Updated Diversity Committee members

  16. Minor updates for Honours Committee Membership

  17. Updated to reflect changes to the membership of several Honours Committees and honours awarded to two existing committee members.

  18. Changes made to Honours Committee Membership and changes made to the profiles of some existing committee members

  19. Changed person under Chief Govt Whip role

  20. Changed a name

  21. Updates made to committee members.

  22. Chair names updated

  23. Added two independent members to the Economy committee.

  24. Updated members lists.

  25. Removed 'Professor Peter Halligan' from Official Members - Sports and technology.

  26. Removed Neil Mendoza (stood down) from members list.

  27. Updated lists.

  28. Updated lists and membership.

  29. Two people added to the Science and Tech section: Dr Patrick Vallance - Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government and Professor Peter Halligan - Chief Scientific Adviser to Wales

  30. New members added.

  31. Added details for Science and Technology committee member

  32. Updates to the current members

  33. Added new vacancy details - Chair of the Arts and Media Honours Committee

  34. Sport Honours Committee vacancy added

  35. Added details of 2 vacancies for members of the Economy Honours Committee.

  36. Added information about committee vacancies that close on 16 October.

  37. Added new vacancy for Arts and Media Committee.

  38. Updated lists of committee members.

  39. Vacancy information added for 3 posts that close on 30 June 2014.

  40. Removed section on Available committee membership positions as these have now been filled.

  41. Added information on available positions - Chair of Economy Honours Committee and Chair of Science and Technology Honours Committee.

  42. Changed the names of members to reflect current membership lists.

  43. First published.