The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister and in agreement with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has appointed James Bowler as the new Permanent Secretary to the Treasury.
James is currently Permanent Secretary for the Department for International Trade and was previously Permanent Secretary in the Cabinet Office. James brings to the role a wealth of knowledge and experience of HM Treasury from over 20 years in the department, combined with experience working with business and representing Britain internationally from his time at DIT.
James will have overall responsibility for managing the department, will supervise Treasury policy development, and will be the principal adviser to the Chancellor and his Ministerial team.
The Cabinet Secretary and the Permanent Secretary have announced Cat Little and Beth Russell as Second Permanent Secretaries. Cat has worked as the Director General of Public Spending since March 2020 and previously worked at the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Defence and spent over a decade in the private sector. Beth has worked for the Treasury for more than 20 years, most recently as the Director General of Tax and Welfare; she also currently heads up the Darlington Economic Campus.
These appointments have been made by the Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister and in agreement with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt. Hon. Kwasi Kwarteng MP.
Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng said:
I’m delighted to welcome James back to the Treasury and Beth and Cat into their new roles as Second Permanent Secretaries. James joined the Civil Service over 20 years ago and has enormous experience delivering across a range of Government departments. Beth and Cat bring experience and continuity and it’s fantastic to have them as part of the Treasury’s top team.
James has a proven track record of delivery and strong leadership, both of which will be vital as we drive towards our mission of igniting growth and raising living standards for everyone across the UK.
Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, said:
James is one of our most expert and experienced economic policy makers, who has served many chancellors over the last two decades. I am delighted for James and congratulate him on his appointment.
I would like to thank Cat and Beth for their excellent leadership of the Treasury over recent weeks and congratulate them both on their substantive promotion to Second Permanent Secretaries. HMT is at the heart of the government’s plan for growth and I know James, supported by Cat and Beth, will bring dedicated leadership to deliver on this agenda for the government and the country.
James Bowler said:
I am delighted to be returning to HM Treasury. Having spent over 20 years at the Department, I know first-hand the excellence of its people. I plan to bring my wider experience back to the Department to help navigate the opportunities and challenges of the global economy that lie ahead. I look forward to working with the Chancellor as part of a strong team alongside the proven experience and talent of Beth Russell and Cat Little.
Beth Russell and Cat Little said:
Working for the Treasury and delivering for the public are privileges – we’re both honoured to be chosen and we look forward to working with the Chancellor, James and the whole ministerial and official team as we continue to deliver for the country.
Notes to Editors
James Bowler
James has over 20 years experience in the Treasury, including as head of tax and then spending policy. He has led multiple Spending Reviews and Budgets at Treasury and was also Principal Private Secretary in Number 10. He has worked in senior roles in Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Justice. James has also helped lead international trade deal negotiations including with India, Trans-Pacific and Australia. James has been a Permanent Secretary since September 2020, first in the Cabinet Office and then in his current role at DIT.
Cat Little
Cat spent over a decade in the private sector dedicated to government and public sector finance at professional services firm PwC. Since joining government in 2013, Cat has led finance, digital and commercial teams in MoJ and most recently as Director General Finance at the MoD. Cat has been Director General of Public Spending since March 2020 and led the comprehensive spending review in 2021. Cat also is head of the Government Finance Function, leading over 10,000 finance professionals across Government, and will continue in this role alongside her new position as second permanent secretary.
Beth Russell
Beth has worked for over 20 years in the Treasury, most recently as Director General Tax and Welfare, Director Personal Tax Welfare and Pensions, and Principal Private Secretary to the Chancellor. Over the last year, Beth has been heading up the new Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) and will continue to be based in Darlington in this new role. DEC will eventually have 1100 new roles across 8 government departments.
The process to recruit the First Permanent Secretary to HM Treasury ran over three weeks. Given the seniority of the job, the process was only open to existing Permanent Secretaries. Candidates were interviewed by a panel including the First Civil Service Commissioner, the Lead NED for HM Treasury and the Cabinet Secretary. Candidates also met with the Chancellor as part of the process. As with all Permanent Secretary appointments, the Prime Minister’s approval was required.
The process to recruit the Second Permanent Secretaries at HM Treasury ran over four months, following Charles Roxburgh’s departure. The competition was open to external candidates. Candidates were interviewed by a panel including the First Civil Service Commissioner, the Lead NED for HM Treasury and the Cabinet Secretary. As with all Permanent Secretary appointments, the Prime Minister’s approval was required.
