Permanent Secretary
The permanent secretary of a UK Department is the senior civil servant. While working under the direction of the political ministers (almost exclusively members of the UK's current governing political party), the SoS (and other senior civil servants, especially the Finance Director) has many traditional and statutory responsibilities which are aimed at ensuring that government departments are, as far as possible, run in the public interest, rather than party-political ones.
Permanent Secretaries in the Department for Education and Skills:
- David Bell: Jan 2006 - June 2007 (Subsequently Permanent Secretary of DCSF)
- Sir David Normington: May 2001 - Dec 2005 (Department for Education and Employment / DfES)
- Sir Michael Bichard: July 1995 - May 2001 (DfEE)
- Sir Timothy Patrick Lankester: Feb 1994 - July 1995 (Department for Education / DfEE)
- Sir Geoffrey Holland: Jan 1993 - Jan 1994 (DfE)
- Sir John Caines: July 1989 - Jan 1993 (Department of Education and Science / DfE)
- Sir David Hancock: May 1983 - June 1989 (DES)
- Sir James Hamilton: May 1976 - May 1983 (DES)
- Sir William Pile: Aug 1970 - May 1976 (DES)
Read more about this topic: Department For Education And Skills (United Kingdom)
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