Joan MacNaughton

Background

Joan MacNaughton joined the Home Office in 1972. She spent five years in the Prison Service, including a spell as Director of Prison Service Industries and Farms; Chief Executive of NDPB (the Police Information Technology Organisation) from July 1999 - December 2001 and Director-General, Policy in the Lord Chancellor's Department, responsible for civil, family and administrative justice. ^[1]

From January 2002 until December 2005 she was Director-General, Energy in the Department of Trade and Industry. In early 2003, MacNaughton oversaw the publication of the Government’s Energy White Paper.^[2]

Government Refuses to Disclose Meetings Between DTI Ministers, Norris and MacNaughton

In the run up to the energy review MacNaughton would have been one of the most influential civial servants on the issue. The Government has refused to release details of meetings between DTI MInisters, MacNaughton and Geoffrey Norris, Blair's special advisor

“The information you requested relating to meetings, during 2005 concerning nuclear power in the UK, between Geoffrey Norris, Tony Blair's special adviser on industry and business, and DTI ministers and/or Joan MacNaughton, including minutes, attendance lists and terms of reference is being withheld as it falls under the exemption in section 35(1)(a), (Formulation of Government Policy), of the Freedom of Information Act. In applying this exemption we have had to balance the public interest in withholding the information against the public interest in disclosing the information”.^[3]

MacNaughton leaves as “too Pro-Nuclear”

The Energy Unit at the DTI is seen as pro-nuclear. Until late 2005, Joan MacNaughton was its top official. She left “amid rumours she is being shifted for being seen as too pro-nuclear to head the government's energy review”.

Chair of the International Energy Agency Governing Board, but remains a non-executive Director of Quintain Estates along with, amongst other, Barbara Judge Thomas from the UKAEA. ^[4]

Since leaving the Energy Unit, MacNaughton has been the Director General of the International Energy Security section at the DTI. ^[5]

External Links

• ^ MacNaughton Biography

• ^ Energy Institute, Joan MacNaughton to Address EI Autumn Lunch Press Release, August 22, 2005.

• ^ Aileen Boughen, Letter To Rich Cookson, March 28 2006

• ^ Oliver Morgan, Pro-nuclear Mandarin 'Shifted' from Top Post, The Observer, December 11, 2005.

• ^ Department of Trade and Industry Organisational Chart

[[category:Individuals linked to the push for nuclear|MacNaughton, Joan]