We’re inviting applications to join the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons Expert Committee (MILLWEC), an independent advisory body that supports the Home Office by providing expert medical advice on the use and implications of less-lethal weapons.
The closing date for applications is 23:59 3 November 2025.
Key information
Vacancies available: 1 Chair and 5 Committee Members (voluntary, unpaid)
Commitment: Attendance at meetings (typically three per year), review of papers, and participation in induction activities
Chair responsibilities: Additional virtual meetings, performance appraisals of members, and involvement in recruitment
Location: Flexible. Meetings are held remotely, with occasional in-person sessions (travel expenses will be reimbursed).
About the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons Expert Committee (MILLWEC)
Science, technology, analysis, and research are vital to the Home Office as they provide the capabilities and evidence-base underpinning our policies and operational practice across public safety, homeland security, and migration and borders.
The Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons Expert Committee (MILLWEC) is a scientific advisory committee and plays a vital role in ensuring that decisions involving Less-Lethal Weapons (LLWs) are informed by robust medical evidence, helping to safeguard both operational users and the public.
MILLWEC provides:
- Independent advice on the medical effects of Less-Lethal Weapon systems
- Assessments of injury risks and medically-related outcomes from operational use
- Recommendations for improving safety in LLW deployment.
The committee operates under the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees (CoPSAC) and adheres to the Seven Principles of Public Life (located in the candidate packs in Annex A Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons Expert Committee: vacancies – GOV.UK).
Committee Structure
- Chair: Leads the committee, ensures effective governance, and liaises with the Home Office
- Members: Experts in relevant medical, scientific, or operational fields
- Co–Optees: May be appointed for specific expertise or tasks
- Security Vetting: Required for all members due to the sensitive nature of the work.
MILLWEC Chair
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The Chair has responsibility for providing effective leadership of MILLWEC and:
- Communicating the objectives of MILLWEC and, working with the Home Office policy owners, setting the strategic direction of MILLWEC.
- Overseeing the operation and output of MILLWEC (in collaboration with the Secretariat)
- Conducting appraisals of MILLWEC members
- Ensuring that every member of MILLWEC has the opportunity to be heard and that no view is overlooked or ignored
- Ensuring that MILLWEC meets at appropriate intervals
- Ensuring that any diversity of opinion among MILLWEC members is fully explored and discussed in order to arrive at a consensus
- Ensuring that MILLWEC, where appropriate, operates under a presumption of openness
- Representing MILLWEC to the public and the media only as arranged and authorised by the Secretariat. The Chair will have the responsibility of speaking on behalf of MILLWEC to the press or of being interviewed by journalists and broadcast media when invited by the Secretariat
- Reporting MILLWEC’s objective, scientific and evidence-based advice to Government.
- Ensuring MILLWEC acts in accordance with this Framework Document, the Nolan principles and with HO corporate policies and guidance except where an exception is notified in accordance with this document.
Committee members will be expected to commit approximately 10 to 15 days per year – this is an upper limit and will be dependent on the volume of commissions.
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Applicants should be able to evidence the following skills and experience:
- Committee experience at a senior level, including experience of chairing high profile multi-disciplinary meetings to enable discussion through to agreed conclusions
- Experience of working with government, and an understanding of the policy and policy environment
- Strong communication, negotiating and interpersonal skills to build effective working relationships within the Committee and with ministers, policy owners, government departments, and other key stakeholders, including the scientific community, practitioners and law enforcement
- Ability to think logically and objectively to analyse complex information identify key issues, maintain scientific integrity and make effective decisions, including excellent judgement under pressure
- A clear understanding of the role of scientific advice in informing policy in an area of political and public attention and sensitivity.
Part Two – Personal Qualities
- The confidence and ability to take overall accountability for the MILLWEC’s work and representing the MILLWEC when required before Government Ministers
- Empathetic but decisive leadership that makes progress through consensus
- Projecting confidence and authority in public appearances
- Openness to new ideas and flexibility of thought to adapt to new evidence
- Decisiveness and independence
- Have effective communication, interpersonal and influencing skills at all levels
- Have experience of working collaboratively with multi-disciplinary groups to advise on complex and/or strategic scientific or technical questions.
- Be able to evaluate complex issues, considering conflicting expert opinions and values to generate options and reach a consensus
- Have strong analytical and judgement skills whilst being open to challenge and group discussions
- Have experience of having an impact in the equality, diversity and inclusivity space and being a positive champion for equality, diversity and inclusion.
MILLWEC Committee
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Committee members are expected to:
- Contribute to MILLWEC meetings
- Act collectively with other MILLWEC or co-opted members to ensure that the committee fulfils its responsibilities in providing impartial, independent, balanced, evidence-based advice to the Department and Chief Scientific Advisor
- Examine and challenge the assumptions on which advice is formulated.
- Consider and evaluate evidence on a given issue, and where appropriate, the concerns and values of stakeholders before a decision is taken
- Consider the wider context in which their expertise is employed when formulating advice.
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Candidates with a scientific background must have clinical, academic and/or research experience at a senior level in one of the following areas of expertise relevant to the human effects of less-lethal weapons:
- Anaesthesia
- Cardiology
- Emergency medicine
- Ergonomics
- Forensic & legal medicine
- Forensic pathology Human factors
- Medical ethics
- Neurophysiology
- Paediatrics
- Psychiatry
- Respiratory medicine
- Toxicology
- Trauma
Candidates with a lay background must demonstrate the following essential criteria:
- A commitment to acquiring significant knowledge in the medical effects of less-lethal weapons systems
- Confidence in their ability to provide independent and external perspectives and a public interest perspective
- Strong Critical thinking and judgement
- Exceptional analytical and communication skills
- An ability to command the confidence of ministers, stakeholders and the public
In addition, all applicants should:
- Have effective communication, interpersonal and influencing skills at all levels
- Have experience of working collaboratively with multi-disciplinary groups to advise on complex and/or strategic scientific or technical questions
- Be able to evaluate complex issues, considering conflicting expert opinions and values to generate options and reach a consensus
- Have strong analytical and judgement skills whilst being open to challenge and group discussions
- Have experience of having an impact in the equality, diversity and inclusivity space and being a positive champion for equality, diversity and inclusion.
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Committee-level meetings will normally take place at the Home Office’s Westminster location. Some MILLWEC meetings may take place at a suitable external venue or be held virtually. Travel expenses will be reimbursed.
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Members will be appointed through fair and open competition by a selection panel including the Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser. All members must be able to work within the parameters set out in their Terms of Appointment and with necessary discretion/confidentiality and classification levels, keeping MILLWEC business private.
The Chair will be appointed for an initial term of up to three-years.
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The successful candidate will be required to obtain Counter-Terrorism Check (CTC) before taking up post. Depending on the nature of commissions received, subsequent vetting may be required.
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Candidates should provide:
- A concise CV (maximum two sides of A4) outlining your most relevant career history, with key responsibilities and achievements.
- A cover letter (maximum two sides of A4) highlighting your suitability, and how you meet the essential criteria. Please note that this supporting statement is an important part of your application and will be considered alongside the CV.
- A completed Diversity monitoring form (you are permitted to answer “Prefer not to say” for any or all questions, should you wish)
Your covering letter should provide evidence of your skills and experience against the essential criteria. Please be clear about the scale and significance of your current role, previous roles, expertise and achievements. The evidence you provide will be used by the selection panel to determine your suitability for the role.
Completed applications should be emailed to: [email protected]
Applicants will be assessed by an appointment’s selection panel comprising the Home Office Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser, and independent panellists. The panel will consider those candidates who best demonstrate that they meet the stipulated criteria as set out in this information pack. Before the interview stage of the selection process, there will be a sift and all candidates will be informed of the outcome of the sift stage by email before interviews are conducted.
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The Home Office takes its obligations under the Data Protection Act seriously. Any data about you will be held in secure conditions with access restricted to those who need it in connection with dealing with your application. Data may also be used for the purposes of monitoring the effectiveness of the recruitment process, but in these circumstances will be kept anonymous. The ethnicity monitoring form is used for monitoring the selection process only. If you do not want these details to be recorded, please return the form uncompleted. If unsuccessful, your personal data relating to application will be destroyed. If successful, necessary data will be retained.
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Every member will have to complete their Register of Interests which is uploaded onto the Gov.uk page. Any updates to this document should be communicated to the Secretariat. Should a matter give rise to a conflict of interest, members are required to inform the Chair in advance and withdraw from discussions or consideration of the matter. Guidance on handling conflicts of interests is provided in the governments Code of practice for Scientific Advisory Committees (CoPSAC).
A member is expected to inform the secretariat and Chair of MILLWEC in advance of a new appointment that may impinge on their duties as a member of MILLWEC. Members should report annually even if this information is unchanged. Members are required to inform the Chair and Secretariat if they intend to accept a prominent position in any political party and understand that this could impact their MILLWEC appointment.
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Read more about the committee, our recruitment process and how to apply on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons Expert Committee (MILLWEC) GOV. UK vacancy page.
For queries contact [email protected]
