SECOND PERMANENT SECRETARY APPOINTMENT NEW DCA POST
5 Aug 2003 12:45 PM
The Prime Minister has approved the promotion of Ian Magee CB to
Second Permanent Secretary in the Department for Constitutional
Affairs. The appointment underlines the central importance of the
better delivery of Justice Services.
As Chief Executive, Operations and Second Permanent Secretary Ian
Magee is the most senior official responsible to the Secretary of
State and the Permanent Secretary for the delivery of services to
support the Government's priorities for the justice system.
All the principal operational services were, for the first time,
brought together under Ian's leadership at the beginning of this
year: the Court Service, performance in the Magistrates' Courts
Service, the Legal Services Commission, the Public Guardianship
Office, the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee, and the
Magistrates Courts' Service Inspectorate.
His responsibility for HR and IT link directly to service delivery,
and he is responsible for creating the new unified courts
administration.
Sir Hayden Phillips, Permanent Secretary, commented:
"This is a richly deserved promotion for Ian. He has made an enormous
contribution to the transformation of the former Lord Chancellor's
Department. The increasing effectiveness of better service delivery
in the courts is due to his leadership - which he is now giving to
all of our operational services.
"The creation of the new department was a critical step in our
modernisation programme. Ian's promotion reflects that coming of
age."
Welcoming Ian's promotion Lord Falconer, Secretary of State at the
Department, said:
"I am very pleased for Ian and for my department. This promotion
recognises the scale of our responsibilities in providing and
improving the justice services which people need."
Notes for Editors
Ian Magee (57), a graduate of Leeds University, became Chief
Executive, Operations for the Lord Chancellor's Department (now the
Department of Constitutional Affairs), in January 2003.
Previously Ian has run three very different Executive Agencies -
Chief Executive of the Court Service since September 1998 and Chief
Executive of the Information Technology Services Agency supplying IT
products and services to DSS and others from 1993. He spent six
months in 1995 as Acting Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, then
the largest in Government.
Previous Government posts, largely in management but also in policy
and private office, have included a spell in the Cabinet Office. He
has held two non-executive Director or equivalent posts in the
private sector.
ENDS
Department for Constitutional Affairs
Selborne House, 54 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QW
www.dca.gov.uk