Skip to content

Rt Hon David Heath CBE

Biography

David HeathDavid Heath combines high-level experience of regulation and governance, involvement at the heart of government, a record as an effective non-executive director in a number of roles, and high-level advocacy and ambassadorial skills working with groups and individuals in the UK and abroad.

A qualified optician with a first degree in physiological sciences, he has spent the greater part of his career in politics and, as a council leader, chair of a major police authority, a member of parliament, and as a senior minister in government, where he was Deputy Leader of the House of Commons and Minister of Agriculture. In 2014 he was appointed the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria and to Angola.

Since retiring from the House of Commons in 2015 he has taken on a number of regulatory roles, including Senior Independent Director of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and Chair of an NHS commissioning body. He is currently Chair of the Costs Lawyer Standards Board, Chair of the Independent Funeral Standards Organisation, and the Independent Chair of Standards for MCS, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.

He lives in the heart of rural Somerset, where he is President of the Frome & District Agricultural Society. He used to breed pedigree Tamworth pigs.

He was appointed CBE in 1988 and to the Privy Council in 2015.

Committee Membership

  • Disciplinary Committee

Declaration of interests

Directorships
  • Costs Lawyer Standards Board - Chair
  • Independent Funeral Standards Organisation - Chair
Shareholdings

None

Consultancies

None

Appointments to other bodies
  • MCS Standards - Independent Chair
  • Institute and Faculty of Actuaries - Chair of Public Affairs Group
  • Frome & District Agricultural Society (Frome Cheese Show) - President
  • Frome Festival - Vice-President
Membership of other veterinary or allied organisations
  • British Veterinary Association - Appointed Honorary Associate 2014
Employment
  • As above.
  • Board Member at Consumer Council for Water - 2015 to 2021
  • Board Member at Solicitors Regulation Authority - 2015 to 2020
  • Non-Executive Director & Trustee at Bath and Wells Multi-Academy Trust - 2017 to 2019
  • Non-Executive Director at Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (NHS) - 2017 to 2022
Qualifications (other than veterinary qualifications listed in the Register)
  • MA (Oxon) - Physiological Sciences
  • Fellow - Association of Dispensing Opticians
  • Honorary Fellow - British College of Optometrists
Interests relating to immediate family or close friends

None

Other relevant information

None