SECRETARIAT'S ROLE

The Secretariat of the Independent Inquiry is made up of the Clerk, John Thompson and the Project Manager, Grace Smallwood.

The role of the Secretariat is to draft the preliminary consultation paper, and prepare the first and any subsequent drafts of the final Report of the Inquiry, in collaboration with the Panel of advisers.
The Secretariat will also manage the consultation process with the pharmacy profession and other stakeholders.

Both members of the secretariat will attend the formal evidence gathering sessions in London, Cardiff and Edinburgh and the national public meetings of the Inquiry.
All of the Inquiry's administrative and research requirements will be conducted by the Secretariat.

THE SECRETARIAT

THE PROJECT MANAGER
Grace Smallwood  

gracesmallwood@theclarkeinquiry.com | click to email

THE CLERK
John Thompson  

John Thompson was formerly a civil servant, working with ministers to develop and implement their policies.

He spent much of his career at the Department of Health where, among other posts, he was head of the Primary Care Division that included policy on the non-medical primary care professions (pharmacists, dentists, and optometrists).

Other senior posts included dealing with NHS reform, AIDS, dentistry and the use of medicines in NHS. Later, at the Home Office he was head of the Crime Prevention Agency and Crime Reduction Unit. At the Health and Safety Executive he was head of the Chemicals Policy Division.

At present he is a Non-Executive Director of the Richmond and Twickenham Primary Care Trust and a member of the Lay Advisory Panel of the College of Optometrists.