The Cabinet Secretary, with the Prime Minister's approval, appointed Cat Little as Permanent Secretary of the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST), according to a government announcement published on 8 September 2026. Little was then Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office and Civil Service Chief Operating Officer, having previously served as Second Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury and in senior roles at the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defence.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds welcomed the appointment, citing her experience in the department's work on growth, and thanked Amanda Brooks for leading the department in the interim period. Cabinet Secretary Dame Antonia Romeo also praised Little's track record and thanked Brooks. Little said she was excited to join BIST and looked forward to working with the Secretary of State, ministers and staff.

The appointment followed an internal recruitment exercise chaired by the independent First Civil Service Commissioner. The post is offered on a fixed tenure basis for five years. A recruitment process was being launched to find Little's successor, and she was to continue in her Cabinet Office role until a successor was in place.