The top civil servant at the Ministry of Defence will be leaving government in the coming months.

Permanent secretary David Williams, who regularly spoke before the defence select committee to discuss policies and challenges, will step down this autumn. He responded to politicians’ questions regularly about the state of the Royal Navy, Army and RAF.

David Williams, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Defence, will be stepping down from his role in autumn, with the decision perceived to be linked to the Afghan data breach. | Parliament TV

placeholder image — David Williams, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Defence, will be stepping down from his role in autumn, with the decision perceived to be linked to the Afghan data breach. | Parliament TV

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson told the BBC last week: “Permanent Secretary David Williams will step down this autumn and the recruitment process for his successor is under way. Since 2021, David has led the department through a period of significant activity, and we thank him for his contribution.”

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Why is Mr Williams leaving the MoD?

The department has faced questions over a data breach in which a defence official released details of almost 19,000 people seeking to flee Afghanistan after the return of the Taliban. Along with the Afghan nationals, the details of more than 100 British officials were compromised, including special forces and MI6 personnel. An injunction blocked reporting of the matter until it was lifted earlier this summer.

Chairman of the defence select committee, Labour’s Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, said: “Defence permanent secretary David Williams’ many years of dedicated public service deserve respect. It’s not yet clear whether his decision to step down is linked to the recently revealed Afghan data breach. However, what is clear is that this grave failure of data protection demands proper scrutiny, which the defence committee certainly intends to provide.

“While our committee has agreed to inquire into this shocking situation, we have yet to determine the full scope for that, including who will be called to give evidence. The fact that this breach has put at risk our courageous British service personnel and the Afghans who bravely supported them, makes the situation even more shocking. I am sure the committee will want to investigate and understand how this could have been allowed to happen.”