Guidance

Honours committees

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

From:
Cabinet Office
Published
19 March 2013
Last updated
173 JanuaryFebruary 2025 — See all updates

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:

  • Dame Tamara Finklestein DCB
  • 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: Harris Bokhari OBE
  • Chair of Science, Technology and Research Committee: Stephen Kelly
  • Chair of Sport Committee: Sir Ron Kalifa OBE
  • Chair of State Committee: The Rt Hon Dame Anne Rafferty DBE
  • 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
  • YolanDa Brown OBE DL - Saxophonist, Broadcaster and Chair of BPI
  • Ben Evans CBE - Director of the London Design Festival and Executive Director of London Design Biennale
  • Sir Richard Mantle OBE DL - Cultural administrator, Chair of The Grange Festival, Chair of In Peace or War and former General Director of Opera North
  • George Saumarez Smith - Director of ADAM Architecture
  • Samir Shah CBE - Chair, BBC
  • 3 x vacancies

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
  • 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 CVO -  Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
  • Dr Andrew Goodall CBE - Permanent Secretary, Welsh Government

The Economy

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

Independent members:

  • Dame Vivian Hunt DBE - Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
  • Dr Gerard Lyons - Chief Economic Strategist, Netwealth
  • Peter Harrison, Group Chief Executive of Schroders plc
  • Moni Mannings OBE - Senior Independent Director and Committee Member (Remuneration and Nomination), The Co-operative Group Limited and Land Securities PLC
  • Dame Julia Hoggett DBE - CEO, London Stock Exchange
  • Steven Cooper CBE - CEO, Aldermore Group; Chair, Experian UK

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, HM Chief Inspector of Education
  • 2Dame xNicola vacanciesDandridge DBE
  • Dame Janet Beer DBE
  • Clive Lawrence OBE - Chief Education Officer at Esteem Multi-Academy Trust

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
  • Dr Henrietta Hughes OBE - lately National Guardian for the NHS
  • The Baroness Harding of Winscombe - Chair of NHS Improvement
  • 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
  • Lord McNicol of West Kilbride
  • The  Lord Oates
  • Professor Stephanie Rickard - Professor of Political Science, London School of Economics 
  • Craig Stephenson OBE -  Trustee, Public Appointee and formerly Director at Welsh Parliament.

Official members:

  • The Rt Hon Sir Alan Campbell MP - Government Chief Whip
  • Dame Rebecca Harris MP - Opposition Chief Whip

Public Service

Harris Bokhari OBE - Trustee, Natural History Museum, Chair, National Citizen Service Trust (Independent Chair)

Independent members:

  • Tariq Shah OBE - CEO, Vigo Group
  • Sir David Thompson QPM DL - Former Chief Constable, West Midlands Police 
  • The Rt. Hon. Lord Young of Old Windsor GCB, GCVO - Independent senior corporate adviser; House of Lords Finance Select Committee; former Principal Private Secretary to the Sovereign
  • Caroline Underwood OBE - Founder and CEO, Philanthropy Company

Official Members:

  • Susan Acland-Hood – Permanent Secretary, Department for Education
  • Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE – Permanent Secretary, Home Office
  • Sarah Healey CB – CVO -  Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
  • Dame 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 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
  • Vacancy

Sport

Chair - Sir Ron Kalifa OBE  (Independent Chair)

Independent members:

  • Susan Barker CBE - Former television presenter and professional tennis player
  • Anthony Hamilton - British racing car manager
  • Elena Narozanski - Board member, Football Foundation and Sport England
  • Jennie Price CBE - Former CEO of Sport England, Chair, International Tennis Integrity Agency
  • Robert Sullivan - CEO, Football Foundation

Official members:

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

State

Chair - The Rt Hon Dame Anne Rafferty DBE  (Independent Chair)

Independent members:

  • Isabel Doverty MA, M.Sc, MCIPD - Civil Service Commissioner
  • Jenny Rowe CB - Former CEO, Supreme Court
  • Pavita Cooper - Portfolio Non-Executive Director and Chair, 30% Club UK
  • Martyn Roper - Former Diplomat, lately Governor of the Cayman Islands
  • Tony Poulter - Non-Executive Board member, Department for Transport Board; Civil Service Commissioner; Other NED roles
  • Margaret Edwards OBE - Former Chair of the Civil Service Pension Board and Civil Service Commissioner.

Official members:

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

Vacancies

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

All vacancies will be advertised on the Public Appointments website.

Updates to this page

Published 19 March 2013
Last updated 173 JanuaryFebruary 2025 + show all updates

  1. Updated the members lists for for the following groups: Education Parliamentary and Political Service

  2. Updated the following member lists: Main committee Community and Voluntary Service The Economy Parliamentary and Political Service Public Service Science, Technology and Research State

  3. Removed the Diversity Committee whilst recruitment is taking place. Once that has completed it will be returned

  4. Updated to include new appointees to the Economy and State Committees

  5. Updated the independent member list under the 'Public Service' section

  6. Updated the list of members for the following groups: Main committee Community and Voluntary Service The Economy Education Parliamentary and Political Service Sport State

  7. Updated the following group members: Main Committee members Arts and Media Education Public Service Science. Technology and Research

  8. Updated the lists for the following sections: Health and Social Care Public Service Science, Technology and Research State

  9. Updated the Arts and Media and the Sports lists of members.

  10. Removed Harris Bokhari - from the Community and Voluntary Service committee and updated Sir Matthew Rycroft's title

  11. Updated the details for the Public Service Independent members

  12. Updated the details for Rabbi Dr Harvey Belovski

  13. Updated current committee membership.

  14. 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

  15. 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".

  16. 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".

  17. 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.

  18. Updated the committee members with the latest list

  19. 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".

  20. 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

  21. 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.

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

  23. 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).

  24. Updated Diversity Committee members

  25. Minor updates for Honours Committee Membership

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

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

  28. Changed person under Chief Govt Whip role

  29. Changed a name

  30. Updates made to committee members.

  31. Chair names updated

  32. Added two independent members to the Economy committee.

  33. Updated members lists.

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

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

  36. Updated lists.

  37. Updated lists and membership.

  38. 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

  39. New members added.

  40. Added details for Science and Technology committee member

  41. Updates to the current members

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

  43. Sport Honours Committee vacancy added

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

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

  46. Added new vacancy for Arts and Media Committee.

  47. Updated lists of committee members.

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

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

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

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

  52. First published.

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