LINDY CAMERON APPOINTED FIRST FEMALE HEAD OF FOREIGN OFFICE

Lindy Cameron has been appointed permanent under-secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, becoming the first woman to hold the position. Cameron, currently British High Commissioner to India, replaces Olly Robbins in the role. The appointment was announced by the Cabinet Secretary, Dame Antonia Romeo, with the approval of Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and the Prime Minister. Cameron is a former chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre and has held senior positions at the Northern Ireland Office and the Department for International Development.

Robbins was dismissed from the post following the Peter Mandelson affair, in which the former minister failed security vetting for the position of US ambassador before his appointment was withdrawn. Ed Miliband said Cameron brought "enormous experience across the fields of diplomacy, development and national security, and a reputation for dynamic leadership in postings across the world". Dame Antonia Romeo described Cameron as having an "excellent track record in security and diplomacy, combined with her considerable experience in international development". Nick Dyer served as interim permanent under-secretary during the period between Robbins's departure and Cameron's appointment.

Cameron's appointment forms part of wider senior changes across the civil service. Cat Little, formerly leading the Cabinet Office, is moving to become permanent secretary of the Department for Business and Trade. Tom Riordan, a former local government official, is taking the permanent secretary role at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Foreign Office has faced significant restructuring following the integration of the international development function after the separate department was abolished.