Cat Little
CB
Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the Civil Service
Incumbent
Assumed office
2 April 2024
Cabinet Secretary Simon Case
Chris Wormald
Antonia Romeo
Preceded by Sir Alex Chisholm
Personal details
Born (1980-05-19) 19 May 1980 (age 45)
Alma mater University of Birmingham

Catherine Joanna "Cat" Little CB (born 19 May 1980) is a British civil servant, who replaced Sir Alex Chisholm as Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary and the chief operating officer of the United Kingdom's Civil Service in April 2024. Prior to this she was the Second Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury from October 2022, and was acting Permanent Secretary between September and October 2022.

Early life and education

Little was born on 19 May 1980 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England. She was educated at Beaconsfield High School, an all-girls grammar school in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. She studied at the University of Birmingham, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 2002.[1] She was the president of the Guild of Students (i.e. the student union) for the 2001/02 academic year.[2]

Career

After graduating from university, she worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, rising from associate to senior manager between 2003 and 2013.[1] In 2013, she joined the civil service.[3] She worked in the Legal Aid Agency, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Defence.[3] She moved to HM Treasury in 2020 as director general public spending.[3] She was acting permanent secretary to the Treasury in September 2022, and appointed second permanent secretary in October 2022.[4][5]

In April 2024, she became Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary and the chief operating officer of the United Kingdom's Civil Service, in succession to Sir Alex Chisholm.[6][7][1]

On 23 April 2026, Little appeared before the House of Commons, Foreign Affairs Select Committee where she rejected an account given by Sir Olly Robbins on 21 April 2026[8] that it was her department that had suggested Peter Mandelson might not have required developed security vetting to take up his 2025 Washington appointment as British Ambassador to the United States.[9]

Personal life

Little lives in the Kent North Downs, enjoys running, cycling and walking the dog with her wife Ruth, whom she married in 2014.[1][10]

Honours

Little was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2023 New Year Honours for public service.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Little, Catherine Joanna". Who's Who. A & C Black. 1 December 2025. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ Our History (PDF). University of Birmingham Guild of Students. 30 June 2014. p. 10.
  3. ^ a b c "Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office: Catherine Little CB". GOV.UK. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  4. ^ "Catherine Little CB". Innovation 2027. Global Government Forum. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  5. ^ "New Permanent Secretary Treasury Team Announced". GOV.UK. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Treasury's Cat Little named next civil service chief operating officer". Civil Service World. 22 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  7. ^ "The Cabinet Secretary has appointed Cat Little as the new Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office" (Press release). UK Government Cabinet Office. 22 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Confirmed: Sir Olly Robbins evidence session - Committees - UK Parliament". committees.parliament.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  9. ^ Walker, Peter (23 April 2026). "Olly Robbins refused to give Mandelson vetting summary to Cabinet Office, says Cat Little". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  10. ^ "Catherine Little CB". GOV.UK. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  11. ^ "No. 63918". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 30 December 2022. p. N3.