David Omand

Sir David Bruce Omand GCB (born 15 April 1947^[1]) is a former senior British civil servant.

Career

Educated at Glasgow Academy and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge,^[1] Omand started out with the Government Communications Headquarters.^[2] After years of service with the Ministry of Defence, from 1996 to 1997 he was Director of GCHQ, before being appointed Permanent Secretary at the Home Office. In the 2000 New Year Honours, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB).^[3] In 2002 he became the first Permanent Secretary and Security and Intelligence Co-ordinator in the Cabinet Office. Sir David was among those to decide that David Kelly should be pursued for talking to the media about the Government's dossier on Iraq's alleged WMD.^[4] Sir David and Sir Kevin Tebbit, then permanent secretary at the MoD, recommended to Jack Straw and Tony Blair that John Scarlett head MI6. John Scarlett was chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee that drafted the WMD dossier.^[4]

In the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB).^[5] He retired from the Cabinet Office in April 2005. On 27 January 2006, he was appointed to the board of The Natural History Museum, for a term of 4 years. He has served the Crown for over 35 years. He is also an Honorary Vice-President of the Royal United Services Institute.

On 20 January 2010, Omand gave evidence to The Iraq Inquiry.^[6]

In 2009 he was asked by the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, to carry out a review into the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to "satisfy ministers" that the council is "discharging the functions" that it is supposed to.^[7]

He is now a visiting professor at King's College London.

Personal

Married Angela Aske (from London, UK)in August 1981.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "OMAND, Sir David Bruce (15 April 1947 - )", in Debrett's People of Today, 2004
2. ^ Aldrich, David, GCHQ, Harper Press, 2010, ISBN 978 0007278473, p.495
3. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 55710. p. 3. 31 December 1999. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
4. ^ ^{a b} Waugh, Paul (2005-11-02). "Key Kelly pair helped appoint MI6 chief". http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-16537695-details/Key+Kelly+pair+helped+appoint+MI6+chief/article.do. Retrieved 2008-11-05. 
5. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 57315. p. 2. 12 June 2004. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
6. ^ "Iraq inquiry: 45-minute claim 'asking for trouble'". BBC News (BBC). 20 January 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8471091.stm. Retrieved 29 January 2010. 
7. ^ Alan Johnson orders swift review of drugs advice body

External links

• Omand speaking at a seminar organised by The Constitution Society.

Government offices
Preceded by Sir John Anthony Adye	Director of GCHQ July 1996 - December 1997	Succeeded by Sir Kevin Tebbit
Preceded by Sir Richard Wilson	Permanent Secretary of the Home Office 1997–2002	Succeeded by Sir John Gieve

Persondata
Name	Ormand, David
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	15 April 1947
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death