Helen Ghosh
Encyclopedia
Dame Helen Frances Ghosh DCB
(born 21 February 1956) is a British
civil servant. She is currently the Permanent Secretary
of the Home Office
, having moved from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(Defra) at the end of 2010. At the time of her appointment at Defra, she was the only female permanent secretary to head a major department of the British Government.
in 1956, to a civil service scientist and a librarian, and educated at Farnborough Hill Convent, St Hugh's College, Oxford
and Hertford College, Oxford
. She is married with one daughter and one son.
in 1979 as an Administration Trainee and held a series of policy roles. She was appointed Private Secretary to the Minister for Environment and Housing in 1986-88 and Head of the Housing Policy and Home Ownership Team in 1992. In July 1995, she joined the Cabinet Office
on loan as Deputy Director of the Efficiency Unit then moved to a more operationally focused role in 1997 in the Government Office for London, where she worked as Director for London East and European Programmes, which brought her into contact with a variety of EU bodies, in particular those administering regeneration funds.
Between May 1999 and November 1999, she was Head of the New Deal for Communities Programme
at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
, working on cross-cutting and delivery issues. She then joined the Department for Work and Pensions
as Director of the Children's Group, which had responsibility for child benefit
, child support
, child poverty issues and the Tax Credit Programme
.
She rejoined the Cabinet Office on 22 October 2001, as Head of Central Secretariat and, in 2003, became Director General for Corporate Services at HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), where she played an important part in the transformation programme merging the Inland Revenue
and Customs & Excise
to form the new department. She was appointed Permanent Secretary at Defra on 7 November 2005. She replaced Sir David Normington
as Permanent Secretary at the Home Office
in January 2011.
She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath
(DCB) in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in June 2008.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(born 21 February 1956) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
civil servant. She is currently the Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
of the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
, having moved from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
(Defra) at the end of 2010. At the time of her appointment at Defra, she was the only female permanent secretary to head a major department of the British Government.
Personal life
She was born in Farnborough, HampshireFarnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
in 1956, to a civil service scientist and a librarian, and educated at Farnborough Hill Convent, St Hugh's College, Oxford
St Hugh's College, Oxford
St Hugh's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. It is located on a fourteen and a half acre site on St Margaret's Road, to the North of the city centre. It was founded in 1886 as a women's college, and accepted its first male students in its centenary year in 1986...
and Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in Catte Street, directly opposite the main entrance of the original Bodleian Library. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £52m. There are 612 students , plus various visiting...
. She is married with one daughter and one son.
Career
Ghosh joined the Department of the EnvironmentSecretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
in 1979 as an Administration Trainee and held a series of policy roles. She was appointed Private Secretary to the Minister for Environment and Housing in 1986-88 and Head of the Housing Policy and Home Ownership Team in 1992. In July 1995, she joined the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
on loan as Deputy Director of the Efficiency Unit then moved to a more operationally focused role in 1997 in the Government Office for London, where she worked as Director for London East and European Programmes, which brought her into contact with a variety of EU bodies, in particular those administering regeneration funds.
Between May 1999 and November 1999, she was Head of the New Deal for Communities Programme
New Deal (UK)
The New Deal is a programme of active labour market policies introduced in the United Kingdom by the Labour government in 1998, initially funded by a one off £5bn windfall tax on privatised utility companies. The stated purpose is to reduce unemployment by providing training, subsidised employment...
at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions
The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions was a UK Cabinet position created in 1997, with responsibility for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions ....
, working on cross-cutting and delivery issues. She then joined the Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
as Director of the Children's Group, which had responsibility for child benefit
Child benefit
Child benefit is a social security payment disbursed to the parents or guardians of children. Child benefit is means-tested in some countries.-Australia:...
, child support
Child support
In family law and public policy, child support is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child following the end of a marriage or other relationship...
, child poverty issues and the Tax Credit Programme
Tax credit
A tax credit is a sum deducted from the total amount a taxpayer owes to the state. A tax credit may be granted for various types of taxes, such as an income tax, property tax, or VAT. It may be granted in recognition of taxes already paid, as a subsidy, or to encourage investment or other behaviors...
.
She rejoined the Cabinet Office on 22 October 2001, as Head of Central Secretariat and, in 2003, became Director General for Corporate Services at HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), where she played an important part in the transformation programme merging the Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
and Customs & Excise
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise
HM Customs and Excise was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government in the UK. It was responsible for the collection of Value added tax , Customs Duties, Excise Duties, and other indirect taxes such as Air Passenger Duty, Climate Change Levy, Insurance Premium Tax, Landfill Tax and...
to form the new department. She was appointed Permanent Secretary at Defra on 7 November 2005. She replaced Sir David Normington
David Normington
Sir David John Normington is the First Civil Service Commissioner and Commissioner for Public Appointments for the British government. He previously served in the British Civil Service as the Permanent Secretary of Department for Education and Skills from 2001 to 2005, and then the Home Office...
as Permanent Secretary at the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
in January 2011.
She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(DCB) in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in June 2008.
Non-executive positions
In 2007 Ghosh joined the Board of the National School for Government. Helen Ghosh is chair of the Blackfriars Overseas Aid Trust, based in Oxford.See also
- "Putting a positive spin on leading Defra", an interview with Helen Ghosh, Public Servant Daily, 23 June 2006
- "Big City Smallholder", an interview with Helen Ghosh, Whitehall and Westminster Civil Service Network, 10 October 2006
- "The Green Machine", an interview with Helen Ghosh, Whitehall and Westminster Civil Service Network, 1 May 2007
- "Renewing Defra", news article, Whitehall and Westminster Civil Service Network, 2 May 2007
- "Ghosh keen to learn from rural payments", news article, Whitehall and Westminster Civil Service Network, 3 May 2007
- "Dying bees 'were not a priority'", news article, BBC News, 18 March 2009