The chief civil servant at the Ministry of Defence will be replaced in the wake of the Afghan data breach, the department has announced.
The move follows one of the worst UK data breaches for decades being revealed to the public earlier this month, in a major embarrassment for defence and intelligence services.
The leak, which went undetected for months and was then subject to a super-injunction, put the identities of British spies, soldiers, and vulnerable Afghan allies at risk.
Permanent Secretary David Williams will leave this autumn and recruitment for his successor has started, the MoD confirmed.
The BBC understands Williams’ departure was agreed before the leak became public.
The leak happened when an official working at UK Special Forces headquarters accidentally emailed out a spreadsheet containing the personal details of almost 19,000 people seeking refuge from the Taliban.
Along with the Afghan nationals, the details of more than 100 British officials were compromised, including special forces and MI6 personnel, in February 2022.
An injunction blocked reporting of the matter until it was lifted earlier this summer.
Labour MP and chairman of the defence select committee, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, said Mr Williams’ “many years of dedicated public service deserve respect”, notwithstanding the seriousness of the leak.
“While our committee has agreed to inquire into this shocking situation, we have yet to determine the full scope for that, including who will be called to give evidence,” he added.
“The fact that this breach has put at risk our courageous British service personnel and the Afghans who bravely supported them, makes the situation even more shocking.
“I am sure the committee will want to investigate and understand how this could have been allowed to happen.”
An MoD spokesperson said on Friday: “Permanent Secretary David Williams will step down this autumn and the recruitment process for his successor is under way.
“Since 2021, David has led the department through a period of significant activity, and we thank him for his contribution.”