Robert Devereux (civil servant)

Devereux arms

Sir Robert John Devereux, KCB (born 15 January 1957) is a senior British civil servant who has served as Permanent Secretary for the Department for Work and Pensions since 2011.[1][2]

Education

He was educated at St John's College, Oxford between 1975 and 1978, before studying for a Master's at the University of Edinburgh.

Career

Devereux joined the Civil Service in 1979 and until 1983 he worked in the Overseas Development Administration, before working at HM Treasury until 1994. He was with the Department of Social Security between 1996 and 2001. From 2007 to 2011 Devereux was Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport. He became Permanent Secretary at the DWP on 1 January 2011.

In 2013 it was reported Sir Jeremy Heywood informed the Prime Minister that he was concerned about the “concerted political briefing campaign” against Robert Devereux over failures in the Government’s universal credit programme. He is understood to have made clear that he did not believe Devereux should be singled out for blame for the project and that responsibility also lay with Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary. He is also said to have pointed out that the public undermining a permanent secretary was harming Civil Service morale and was unfair because, as a Government official, Sir Robert was unable to defend himself.[3]

Honours

KCB insignia

Devereux was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to transport and welfare and for voluntary service in Kilburn, London.[4][5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ A & C Black (2011). "DEVEREUX, Robert John". Who's Who 2011. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  2. ↑ Department for Work and Pensions (27 September 2010). "New Permanent Secretary for the Department for Work and Pensions". Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  3. ↑ www.independent.co.uk
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 61450. p. N3. 30 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "New Year’s Honours 2016 list" (pdf). GOV.UK. 30 December 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2015.

External links

Government offices
Preceded by
Sir David Rowlands		 Permanent Secretary of the
Department for Transport
2007-2011 		Succeeded by
Dame Lin Homer
Preceded by
Sir Leigh Lewis		 Permanent Secretary of the
Department for Work and Pensions
2011- 		Incumbent
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