2014
Sir Peter Housden KCB – Outstanding practitioner in public service and education
Honorary Degree of Doctor of the University (HonDUniv) in recognition of his significant contribution to local and national government and in particular to the reform and improvement of locally delivered public services.
As Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government since 2010, Sir Peter’s duties currently include leading the civil service role in the run-up to the Scottish Referendum.
He spent a key period of his career in public service in Nottinghamshire. From 1991, he was Director of Education, after experience elsewhere of teaching and education management, and for seven years was the county council’s chief executive.
In 2001 he moved to Whitehall, first as Director-General for Schools for England, then as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government, before his appointment to Scotland.
He is an associate fellow of Warwick Business School and a Trustee of the Work Foundation, and is the author of several works on education and public service. He was created a KCB in 2010.