Clerk of the Parliaments Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Clerk of the Parliaments

Baroness Smith of Basildon Excerpts
Monday 10th November 2025

(1 day, 15 hours ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Smith of Basildon Portrait The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Smith of Basildon) (Lab)
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My Lords, on 24 July, I informed your Lordships’ House of Simon Burton’s intention to retire from the office of Clerk of the Parliaments with effect from 1 April 2026. The recruitment process for his successor has now concluded. The unanimous recommendation of the interview board was that Chloe Kilcoyne Mawson should succeed Simon as Clerk of the Parliaments. Her appointment follows an open and external competition which attracted a wide field of high-calibre candidates. A number of internal and external applicants were interviewed by a board consisting of myself, the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, the Convener of the Cross Benches and Dame Elizabeth Gardiner, former First Parliamentary Counsel. I am sure that everyone will join me in congratulating Chloe on her appointment, and we very much look forward to working with her in her new role.