Sir Robin Mountfield, KCB (16 October 1939 – 9 November 2011) was a British civil servant, who retired in 1999 from his most senior post as Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office.[1]

Robin Mountfield
Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office
In office
1995–1999
Preceded bySir Richard Mottram
Succeeded bySir Brian Bender
Personal details
Born(1939-10-16)16 October 1939
Died9 November 2011(2011-11-09) (aged 72)
Spouse
Anne Newsham
(m. 1963⁠–⁠2011)
Children3 (including Helen)
Alma materMagdalen College, Oxford

Early life and education

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Mountfield was born on 16 October 1939. He attended Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby and then Magdalen College, Oxford.

Career

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He joined the Ministry of Power in 1961. He rose to the rank of Deputy Secretary in the Department of Trade and Industry in 1984, where he served until 1992 when he transferred to HM Treasury. In 1995 he moved to the Cabinet Office as Permanent Secretary responsible for the Office of Public Service there (the remainder of the Office of Public Service and Science after the Office of Science and Technology transferred to DTI). In 1998, his role was re-cast as Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office, in which he served until his retirement in 1999.

Personal life

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In 1963, Mountfield married Anne Newsham. Together they had two sons and a daughter.[2] His daughter, Helen Mountfield, is a barrister and the Principal of Mansfield College, Oxford.[3]

He died on 9 November 2011.[2]

Honours

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Mountfield was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1988 Birthday Honours.[4] He was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 1999 New Year Honours shortly after his retirement.[5]

Styles

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  • Mr Robin Mountfield (1939–1988)
  • Mr Robin Mountfield CB (1998–1999)
  • Sir Robin Mountfield KCB (1999–2011)

Offices held

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Government offices


Preceded byas Permanent Secretary of the
Office of Public Service and Science
Permanent Secretary of the
Office of Public Service, Cabinet Office

1995–1998
Succeeded by
Himself
as Permanent Secretary at the
Cabinet Office
Preceded by
Himself
as Permanent Secretary of the
Office of Public Service
Permanent Secretary at the
Cabinet Office

1998–1999
Succeeded by

References

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  1. ^ Mountfield, Sir Robin (2012). "MOUNTFIELD, Sir Robin". Who's Who 2012. A & C Black. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Mountfield, Sir Robin". Who Was Who. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2016. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U28365.
  3. ^ "Mountfield, Helen". Who's Who 2018. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2017. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U250874.
  4. ^ "No. 51365". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 June 1988. p. 3.
  5. ^ "No. 55354". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1998. p. 3.
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