Jersey-born top civil servant recognised in New Year’s Honours

Wednesday 05 January 2022

A Jerseyman who has recently become Scotland’s top civil servant has been recognised in the New Year’s Honours list.

John-Paul Marks has become a Companion of the Order of the Bath for "services to welfare reform" while he was Director General for Work and Health at the Department for Work and Pensions.

However, in November, it was announced that Mr Marks had been appointed as the new Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government.

He begins his new job in Edinburgh today (Wednesday 5 January).

The son of Susan Marks and the late Dr Michael Marks, Mr Marks was born in Jersey and went to Victoria College before graduating from Cambridge and Boston Universities. He then joined HM Treasury, where his roles included being Speechwriter to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

He then moved to the Department for Work and Pensions, where he led operations for the Universal Credit scheme and, since April 2019, ran its Work and Health Service division.

The Order of the Bath is an order of chivalry and was founded in 1725 for “service of the highest calibre”, with both a civil and military division. It is the fourth most-senior order of chivalry in Britain.

Companions are not Knights nor Dames so cannot use the prefix ‘Sir’ or ‘Dame’ but can use the letters CB after their name.

The Lieutenant-Governor, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, is a Knight Grand Cross of the Order and is its current King of Arms.

Her Majesty the Queen is its most senior member.

Disability and environment campaigner Jim Hopley was also named in the New Year’s Honours list, receiving an MBE.

Pictured top: John-Paul Marks with Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, when his appointment was announced in November.