Paul Silk

Paul Silk was born in Crickhowell, Powys and is currently a Clerk in the British House of Commons.

Silk was formerly Clerk to the National Assembly for Wales from March 2001 to January 2007 and acted as the principal adviser to the Presiding Officer and was responsible for all the services which are delivered to Assembly Members through the Assembly Parliamentary Service (APS).

Education

Silk was educated at Christ College, Brecon; the University of Oxford; and the University of Princeton.

Professional career

House of Commons Clerk for almost 25 years, clerking at different times three departmental Select Committees, including the Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Committees. He is also a former Clerk of the Welsh Grand Committee. Clerk in charge of the Government of Wales Bill and contributed to drafting the first Standing Orders of the National Assembly. He has also worked as Presidential Adviser in the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, and has participated in a number of programmes for emerging democracies. He has written and lectured on Parliament and the Constitution.

Publications

Principal author of the first four editions of the standard work "How Parliament Works".

Offices held