People & Business: Treasury moves

THE DUST hasn't quite settled in the Treasury since Charlie Whelan's departure. Fiona Hamilton has been promoted from the Treasury press office to accompany the Chancellor on his meetings with the media while a new "Charlie" is recruited.

John Kingman, previously head of the Treasury's productivity unit, has taken over as head of communications and strategy.

Mr Kingman rejoined the department last year after a period writing for the "Lex" column in the Financial Times --a job once held by Ed Balls, the Chancellor's economic adviser - and working in the office of Sir John Browne, chief executive at BP.

Mr Kingman's predecessor, Peter Curwen, returns to a policy job after three years in the bear pit of the press office. Mr Curwen had in turn replaced Jill Rutter, a victim of early post-election tensions in the Treasury, and now herself working at BP.