Detailed guide: Honours committees

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 Advisory Committee.

Main committee

Members are:

• Sir Jonathan Stephens KCB (chair)
• Chair of Arts and Media Committee: Sir Vernon Ellis
• Chair of Community, Voluntary and Local Services Committee: Dame Clare Tickell DBE
• Chair of the Economy Committee: Sir Ian Cheshire, Chief Executive Officer, Kingfisher plc
• Chair of Education Committee: Sir Michael Barber
• Chair of Health Committee: Professor The Lord Kakkar
• Chair of Parliamentary and Political Service Committee: The Rt. Hon. The Lord Spicer
• Chair of Science and Technology Committee: Professor Sir John Bell FRS, Regius Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford
• Chair of Sport Committee: The Lord Coe of Ranmore KBECH
• Chair of State Committee: Dame Mary Marsh DBE
• The Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service
• The Permanent Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• The Chief of Defence Staff
• Another Permanent Secretary (currently Dame Ursula Brennan DCB, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice)

Arts and media

Sir Vernon Ellis – Chair, British Council (independent chair)

Independent members:

• The Lord Fellowes of West Stafford DL– writer, actor and director
• Dame Liz Forgan DBE– journalist
• Julia Peyton Jones OBE– Director, the Serpentine Gallery
• Luke Rittner – Chief Executive, Royal Academy of Dance
• Sir Peter Stothard – Editor, The Times Literary Supplement

Official members:

• Sue Owen CB – Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
• Sir Peter Housden KCB– Permanent Secretary, Scottish Government

Community, voluntary and local services

Dame Clare Tickell DBE– Chief Executive, Hanover Housing Association (independent chair)

Independent members:

• Evelyn Asante-Mensah OBEDL– Interim Chief Executive, BHA for Equality
• Melanie Bryan OBE– social entrepreneur, Why Not Change?
• Dilwar Hussain – Co-founder, New Horizons in British Islam
• Dr. Angus Kennedy OBE– Chief Executive, Community Regeneration Partnership
• John Knight CBE JP – formerly Director of Policy at Leonard Cheshire Disability and Board Member, Charity Commission
• Dame Barbara Monroe DBE– Chief Executive, St. Christopher’s Hospice
• Brian O’Doherty – lately Head of Housing, Newcastle City Council
• Noreen Oliver MBE – Founder and Chief Executive Officer, BAC O’Connor Centre
• The Lord Shipley – Leader, Newcastle City Council
• Sir Nicholas Young – former Chief Executive, British Red Cross

Official members:

• Helen Edwards – Director General for Localism, Department for Communities and Local Government
• Sir Derek Jones KCB– Permanent Secretary, Welsh Government
• Mark Sedwill CMG– Permanent Secretary, Home Office
• Chris Wormald – Permanent Secretary, Department for Education

The economy

Sir Ian Cheshire (independent chair) – Chief Executive Officer, Kingfisher plc

Independent members:

• Dame Helen Alexander DBE– Chair, UBM plc and Chancellor, University of Southampton
• Dame Colette Bowe DBE– former Chair, Office of Communications (Ofcom)
• Sherry Coutu CBE– angel investor
• The Rt Hon Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde – Member, House of Lords Appointment Commission
• Anya Hindmarch MBE – fashion designer and businesswoman
• Sir Richard Lambert – Chairman, banking Standard Review
• Helen Mahy – Chair, Renewables Infrastructure Group
• Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE– entrepreneur

Official members:

• Martin Donnelly CMG– Permanent Secretary, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
• Sue Owen CB – Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
• Sir Nicholas MacPherson KCB– Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury
• Sir Peter Housden KCB– Permanent Secretary, Scottish Government

Education

Professor Sir Michael Barber – Head, McKinsey’s Global Education Practice (independent chair)

Independent members:

• Graham Badman CBE– former Managing Director,Children, Schools and Education Directorate, Kent County Council
• Dame Rachel de Souza DBE– Chief Executive Officer, Inspiration Trust
• Professor Sir Deian Hopkin – former Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, London South Bank University
• Marion Matchett CBE– Civil Service Commissioner for Northern Ireland
• Sir Daniel Moynihan – Chief Executive, Harris Federation
• Peter Williams CBE– former Chief Executive, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
• Dr John Guy OBE– former Principal, Farnborough Sixth Form College and Independent Chair, Surrey Health Clinical Commissioning Group
• Dame Asha Khemka DBE– Principal and Chief Executive, West Nottinghamshire College

Official members:

• Martin Donnelly CMG– Permanent Secretary, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
• Chris Wormald – Permanent Secretary, Department for Education
• Dr. Malcolm McKibbin – Head, Northern Ireland Civil Service

Health

Professor The Lord Kakkar – Director, Thrombosis Research Institute (independent chair)

Independent members:

• Dame Christine Beasley DBE– Chief Nursing Officer for England
• Sir Leszek Borysiewicz FRS– Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge
• Dame Ruth Carnall DBE– Chief Executive, NHS London
• Professor Sir Ian Gilmore – Chair, Liverpool Health Partners, University of Liverpool
• Dame Janet Husband DBE– former Chair, Royal College of Radiologists Council
• Sir Nicholas Partridge OBE– former Chief Executive, Terrence Higgins Trust
• Professor Sir Simon Wessely – Director, King’s Centre for Military Health Research, King’s College London

Official members:

• Dame Sally Davies DBE– Chief Medical Officer (England)
• Una O’Brien CB – Permanent Secretary, Department of Health
• Andrew Goodall – Director General, Department for Health, Social Services and Children, Welsh Government

Parliamentary and political service

The Rt. Hon. The Lord Spicer – Member, House of Lords (independent chair)

Independent members:

• Dianne Bevan – Chief Operating Officer, National Assembly for Wales
• The Rt Hon the Lord Butler of Brockwell KG GCB CVO - Member, House of Lords
• The Rt Hon the Baroness Hayman GBE – former Speaker of the House of Lords
• The Rt Hon Peter Riddell CBE– Director, Institute for Government
• Sir Robert Rogers KCB

Official members:

• The Rt Hon Don Foster MP – Liberal Democrat Chief Whip
• The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP – Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip
• The Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP – Labour Chief Whip

Science and technology

Professor Sir John Bell FRS– Regius Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford (independent chair)

Independent members:

• Professor Sir Tony Atkinson FBA – Senior Research Fellow, Nuffield College
• Professor Dame Janet Finch DBEDL– former Vice Chancellor, Keele University
• Professor Dame Julia King DBE– Vice-Chancellor, Aston University
• Martyn Rose – Director, Martyn Rose Ltd.
• Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell DBEFRSDL– President and Vice Chancellor, University of Manchester

Official members:

• Professor Sir Mark Walport FRS– Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government
• Professor Sir John O’Reilly FREng– Director-General, Knowledge and Innovation, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
• Professor Julie Williams CBE– Chief Scientific Adviser, Welsh Government

Sport

The Lord Coe of Ranmore KBECH– Chairman, CSM (independent chair)

Independent members:

• Giles Clarke – Chair, England and Wales Cricket Board and Director, International Cricket Council
• The Baroness Grey Thompson of Eaglescliffe DBE– former Paralympic athlete
• Tim Lamb - former Chief Executive, Sport and Reaction Alliance
• Tim Phillips - former Chairman, All England Lawn Tennis Club
• Graham Taylor OBE– former England Football Manager

Official members:

• Sue Owens CB – Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
• Dr. Malcolm McKibbin – Head, Northern Ireland Civil Service

State

Dame Mary Marsh DBE– Director, Clore Social Leadership Programme (independent chair)

Independent members:

• The Rt Hon the Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone JP DL– Member, House of Lords and Chair, Board Practice, Odgers Berndtson
• Dame Suzi Leather DBEDL– former Chair, Charity Commission
• Elizabeth McKeikan – Non-Executive Director, JD Wetherspoon plc. and former Civil Service Commissioner
• Dr. Diana Walford CBE– former Principal, Mansfield College, Oxford
• Dr. Suzy Walton – Deputy Chairman RSA, University of Westminster and Internet Watch Foundation

Official members:

• Dame Ursula Brennan DCB – Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice
• Sir Jonathan Stephens KCB, Permanent Secretary, Northern Ireland Office

Vacancies

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

There are currently 2 vacancies for members of the Economy Honours Committee. View the vacancy description and application form. The closing date for applications is 30 November 2015.

There is also 1 vacancy for a member of the Sport Honours Committee. View the vacancy description and application form. The closing date for applications is 11 December 2015.