Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (or just Parliamentary Secretary, particularly in departments not led by a Secretary of State) is the lowest of three tiers of

government minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ‘prime minister’, ...

in the

UK government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...

, immediately junior to a

Minister of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In ...

, which is itself junior to a Secretary of State.

Background

The Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975 provides that at any one time there can be no more than 83 paid ministers (not counting the

Lord Chancellor The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. Th ...

, up to 3 law officers and up to 22 whips). Of these, no more than 50 ministers can be paid the salary of a minister senior to a Parliamentary Secretary. Thus if 50 senior ministers are appointed, the maximum number of paid Parliamentary Secretaries is 33. The limit on the number of unpaid Parliamentary Secretaries is given by the

House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 The House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that prohibits certain categories of people from becoming members of the House of Commons. It is an updated version of similar older acts, known col ...

ensuring that no more than 95 government ministers of any kind can sit in the House of Commons at any one time; there is no upper bound to the number of unpaid ministers sitting in the House of Lords. The position should neither be confused with the Permanent Secretary which is the most senior civil servant in a government department (also known as the Permanent Under-Secretary of State), nor with a Parliamentary Private Secretary (an MP serving as an assistant to a minister entitled to directly relevant expenses but no further pay). Of his tenure as an under-secretary in Macmillan's 1957–1963 Conservative government from the Lords, the Duke of Devonshire noted: "No one who hasn't been a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State has any conception of how unimportant a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State is".

Current Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State

The current Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State are: * HM Treasury **

Economic Secretary to the Treasury The Economic Secretary to the Treasury is the sixth-most senior ministerial post in His Majesty's Treasury, after the First Lord of the Treasury, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Paymaster-General and the ...

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury is a junior ministerial post in His Majesty's Treasury, ranked below the First Lord of the Treasury, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Paymaster General and the Fina ...

*Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (see

Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs is a vacant junior position in the British government, subordinate to both the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and since 1945 also to the Minister of State for Foreign Affa ...

) ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Africa ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for European Neighbourhood and the Americas *Home Office (see

Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department This article lists past and present Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State serving the Home Secretary of the United Kingdom at the Home Office. Non-permanent and parliamentary under-secretaries, 1782–present *April 1782: Evan Nepean *April 1 ...

) **

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding (also known as Minister for Safeguarding) is a junior role in the British Home Office. It is held by Sarah Dines MP from October 2022. Responsibilities The minister has the following r ...

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Immigration and Future Borders The minister of state for immigration is a minister of state in the Home Office of the Government of the United Kingdom. From June 2017 to July 2019 and since October 2022, the minister has attended cabinet meetings. The role was known as Parl ...

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Immigration Compliance and Courts The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, previously known as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Immigration Compliance and Courts, is a junior role in both the British Home Office and the Minist ...

(joint with Ministry of Justice) *Cabinet Office **Parliamentary Secretary (

Minister for Implementation The Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office is a junior ministerial role at the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom. History Responsibilities The office holder has the following responsibilities: * Supporting the Minister for the ...

) **Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence People and Veterans *Ministry of Justice **

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice is a junior position in the Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry. Lists of current ministries of justice N ...

**Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Immigration Compliance and the Courts (joint with Home Office) *Ministry of Defence ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence People and Veterans *Department of Health and Social Care **

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Technology, Innovation and Life Sciences The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Technology, Innovation and Life Sciences is a junior position in the Department of Health and Social Care in the British government. It is currently vacant since 20 September 2022. The role was forme ...

** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Vaccines and Public Health **Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety and Primary Care * Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy **Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Industry **

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science, Research and Innovation The Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation (also known as Science Minister) is a mid-level position in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in the British government. It was re-created by the Second Johnson ...

**Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets **Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Climate Change and Corporate Responsibility *Department for International Trade **

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exports The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exports (Minister for Exports) is a junior position in the Department for International Trade of the Government of the United Kingdom ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image ...

(joint with UK Export Finance) ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women *Department for Work and Pensions **

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment The Minister of State for Employment is a mid-level position in the Department for Work and Pensions in the British government. History The office was previously held by Julie Marson following the resignation of Mims Davies Miriam Jane Ali ...

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions and Financial Inclusion The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions is a junior position in the Department for Work and Pensions in the British government. Responsibilities The minister's responsibilities include: *Pensioner benefits, including new State P ...

**Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Welfare Delivery ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions *Department for Education ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Apprenticeships and Skills ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the School System *Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs **

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Farming, Fisheries and Food A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...

** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Biosecurity **Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State *Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Rough Sleeping **Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Faith and Communities *Department for Transport **Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State **Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State **Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State *Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland **

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland is a junior ministerial post (of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State rank) in the Government of the United Kingdom, supporting the Secretary of State for Scotland. The post is also kno ...

**Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State *Office of the Secretary of State for Wales **

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales ( cy, Is-ysgrifennydd Gwladol Seneddol Cymru), often referred to simply as the Welsh Office Minister, is a junior ministerial post (of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State rank) in the Gove ...

*Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital Infrastructure ** Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism and Heritage **Parliamentary Secretary ( Minister for Civil Society) *UK Export Finance **

(joint with Department for International Trade)

Historic Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State

Department for Exiting the European Union The Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU; also known as the Department for Brexit or Brexit Department) was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for overseeing negotiations relating to Brexit, and establi ...

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union or, informally, Brexit Secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for the business of the Department for Exiting the Europ ...

Department of Health and Social Care The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for government policy on health and adult social care matters in England, along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherw ...

Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health was a junior ministerial office in the United Kingdom Government. The Ministry of Health was created in 1919 as a reconstruction of the Local Government Board. Local government functions were ev ...

*Technology **

Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Technology The Ministry of Technology was a department of the government of the United Kingdom, sometimes abbreviated as "MinTech". The Ministry of Technology was established by the incoming government of Harold Wilson in October 1964 as part of Wilson's am ...

*Foreign affairs and Defence **

Under-Secretary of State for Air The Under-Secretary of State for Air was a junior ministerial post in the United Kingdom Government, supporting the Secretary of State for Air in his role of managing the Royal Air Force. It was established on 10 January 1919, replacing the previou ...

** Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs ** Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations **

Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs The position of Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs was a British ministerial position, subordinate to that of Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, created in 1925 to deal with British relations with the Dominions – Canada, Aust ...

Under-Secretary of State for India This is a list of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State and Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Permanent Under-Secretaries of State at the India Office during the British India, period of British rule be ...

Under-Secretary of State for War The position of Under-Secretary of State for War was a British government position, first applied to Evan Nepean (appointed in 1794). In 1801 the offices for War and the Colonies were merged and the post became that of Under-Secretary of State fo ...

Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies was a junior Ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, subordinate to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and, from 1948, also to a Minister of State. Under-Secretaries of State for the Co ...

Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies The Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was a junior Ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, subordinate to the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. In 1801 the offices of Under-Secretary of State for War and Und ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parliamentary Under-Secretary Of State Ministerial positions in the Government of the United Kingdom

Background

Current Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State

Historic Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State

See also

References