Permanent Secretary
Encyclopedia
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state (although the full title is rarely used), is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry
, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis. The permanent secretary (known by other names in some departments; see below) is the non-political civil service head (and "accounting officer") or chief executive of a government department, as distinct from the political Secretary of State
, to whom they report and whom they advise.
took office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
in 1830, Sir John Barrow was especially requested to continue serving as Secretary in his department (the Admiralty
), starting the principle that senior civil servants stay in office on change of government and serve in a non-partisan manner. It was during Barrow's occupancy of the post that it was renamed “Permanent Secretary”.
for ensuring that the department spends money granted by Parliament appropriately. Permanent secretaries are thus frequently called for questioning by the Public Accounts Committee and Select Committees of the House of Commons
. The permanent secretary usually chairs a department's management board which consists of executive members (other civil servants in the department) and non-executive directors.
Some larger departments also have a second permanent secretary who acts as deputy. In the early 1970s, there was a major reorganisation of Whitehall
and many smaller ministries were amalgamated into larger departments. Following this re-organisation, virtually all departments had second permanent secretaries. However, this is no longer the case.
The overall head of the civil service is the Cabinet Secretary
, currently Sir Gus O'Donnell
. The holder of this office is distinct from other people of permanent secretary rank within the Cabinet Office.
at some point after their appointment or on retirement if not already holding the title (although the Permanent Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
will be created a Knight or Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
instead). The most senior permanent secretaries, such as the Secretary of the Cabinet, may be created a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
, and even be given a life peer
age after retirement. For salary comparison purposes, the permanent secretary is deemed broadly equivalent to a General and to a High Court judge.
with the grade of Permanent Secretary or Second Permanent Secretary; however, not all use these titles.
, the popular term for the equivalent position is now “Principal Secretary”.
In Australia
, the position is called the "Departmental Secretary
", “Secretary of the Department”, or “Director-General of the Department” in some states and territories.
In Canada
, the position is “Deputy Minister
”.
In Germany
, the equivalent office is called Staatssekretär (state secretary).
In Hong Kong
, heads of policy bureaux, i.e., Secretaries, were filled by civil servants until their titles were changed to Permanent Secretaries in 2002, when political appointees filled the positions of secretaries under the second Tung Chee Hua government. Since August 2005, the Office of the Chief Executive also has a permanent secretary. His ranking is, however, lower than most other permanent secretaries according to the pay scale.
In the Republic of Ireland
, the position of “Secretary-General” of a Department is almost identical to that of a Permanent Secretary in the British Civil Service, with the exception that since the introduction in the mid-1990s of the Strategic Management Initiative, the post is no longer permanent, but carries a seven year time limit. This coincided with the introduction of the change of title from the previous title of “Secretary”. Irish government departments may also have a “Second Secretary”, which is equivalent to the Second Permanent Secretary grade in the British Civil Service. See also Civil service of the Republic of Ireland
.
In New Zealand
, the civil service head of a ministry is ordinarily entitled “Chief Executive”, though in some cases (such as the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
) the title is “Director-General”. Organisations with enforcement powers, such as the Inland Revenue Department
, the New Zealand Police
, and the New Zealand Customs Service
are headed by commissioner
s. Civil service heads are officially employed by the State Services Commission
, further separating them from the politicians who hold ministerial positions.
In Singapore
, Permanent Secretaries have to retire after a 10-year term even if they are younger than the official retirement age of 62 in Singapore, starting in 2000 when the Public Service Leadership scheme was introduced. This is to provide opportunities for younger officers from the Administrative Service – the elite arm of the Civil Service – to rise up the rank.
In Sri Lanka
, the post of Permanent Secretary is the civil service head of the ministry. Normally referred to as Secretary, non civil service, political appointees are regularly appointed.
Ministry (government department)
A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis. The permanent secretary (known by other names in some departments; see below) is the non-political civil service head (and "accounting officer") or chief executive of a government department, as distinct from the political Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
, to whom they report and whom they advise.
History
When Lord GreyCharles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, KG, PC , known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 22 November 1830 to 16 July 1834. A member of the Whig Party, he backed significant reform of the British government and was among the...
took office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
in 1830, Sir John Barrow was especially requested to continue serving as Secretary in his department (the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
), starting the principle that senior civil servants stay in office on change of government and serve in a non-partisan manner. It was during Barrow's occupancy of the post that it was renamed “Permanent Secretary”.
Role
Permanent secretaries are the accounting officers for departments, meaning that they are answerable to ParliamentParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
for ensuring that the department spends money granted by Parliament appropriately. Permanent secretaries are thus frequently called for questioning by the Public Accounts Committee and Select Committees of the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. The permanent secretary usually chairs a department's management board which consists of executive members (other civil servants in the department) and non-executive directors.
Some larger departments also have a second permanent secretary who acts as deputy. In the early 1970s, there was a major reorganisation of Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
and many smaller ministries were amalgamated into larger departments. Following this re-organisation, virtually all departments had second permanent secretaries. However, this is no longer the case.
The overall head of the civil service is the Cabinet Secretary
Cabinet Secretary
A Cabinet Secretary is almost always a senior official who provides services and advice to a Cabinet of Ministers. In many countries, the position can have considerably wider functions and powers, including general responsibility for the entire civil service...
, currently Sir Gus O'Donnell
Gus O'Donnell
Sir Augustine Thomas "Gus" O'Donnell GCB is a British civil servant, who is the current Cabinet Secretary, the highest rank in the British Civil Service. He is consequently, under current practice, Head of the Civil Service, which means he has authority over all civil servants except those who are...
. The holder of this office is distinct from other people of permanent secretary rank within the Cabinet Office.
Honours
By tradition, permanent secretaries are usually created a Knight or Dame Commander of the Order of the BathOrder of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
at some point after their appointment or on retirement if not already holding the title (although the Permanent Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
will be created a Knight or Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
instead). The most senior permanent secretaries, such as the Secretary of the Cabinet, may be created a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, and even be given a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
age after retirement. For salary comparison purposes, the permanent secretary is deemed broadly equivalent to a General and to a High Court judge.
Current UK permanent secretaries
There are currently 42 individuals in UK government departmentsDepartments of the United Kingdom Government
Her Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom contains a number of Cabinet ministers who are usually called secretaries of state when they are in charge of Government departments called ministerial departments...
with the grade of Permanent Secretary or Second Permanent Secretary; however, not all use these titles.
| Department | Jobholder | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet Office | ||
| The Hon. Alex Allan Alex Allan Alexander Allan is the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee of the United Kingdom and Head of Intelligence Assessment. He is the son of Robert Allan, Baron Allan of Kilmahew.- Early life :... |
Chair, Joint Intelligence Committee | |
| Jeremy Heywood, CB CVO Jeremy Heywood Jeremy John Heywood CB, CVO is a British civil servant. He is currently Permanent Secretary at Downing Street, having previously served as the Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister.... |
Permanent Secretary, 10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister.... |
|
| Sir Gus O'Donnell, GCB Gus O'Donnell Sir Augustine Thomas "Gus" O'Donnell GCB is a British civil servant, who is the current Cabinet Secretary, the highest rank in the British Civil Service. He is consequently, under current practice, Head of the Civil Service, which means he has authority over all civil servants except those who are... |
Cabinet Secretary and Head, Home Civil Service British Civil Service Her Majesty's Home Civil Service, also known as the Home Civil Service, is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that supports Her Majesty's Government - the government of the United Kingdom, composed of a Cabinet of ministers chosen by the prime minister, as well as the devolved... |
|
| Ian Watmore Ian Watmore Ian Watmore , is an English accountant and current civil servant.Born in Croydon, Surrey, he was schooled at Trinity School, Croydon and then graduated with a degree in mathematics and management studies from Trinity College, Cambridge... |
Chief Operating Officer, Efficiency and Reform Group | |
| Sir Jon Cunliffe, CB Jon Cunliffe Sir Jonathan Stephen Cunliffe CB is a British Civil Servant, currently serving as the Head of the European and Global Issues Secretariat and International Economic and EU Advisor in the Prime Minister's Office, the part of the Cabinet Office based in 10 Downing Street.On 24 June 2011, Number 10... |
Prime Minister's Adviser on International Economic Affairs and Europe | |
| Sir Peter Ricketts, GCMG Peter Ricketts Sir Peter Forbes Ricketts, GCMG is a senior British diplomat who currently serves as National Security Adviser to HM Government... |
National Security Advisor | |
| Sir Stephen Laws, KCB Stephen Laws Sir Stephen Charles Laws, KCB, QC, is a British lawyer and Civil Servant who has served since 2006 as the First Parliamentary Counsel.As head of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, Laws is responsible for the drafting of all the government legislation which is laid before Parliament... |
First Parliamentary Counsel | |
| Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Department for Business, Innovation and Skills The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is a ministerial department of the United Kingdom Government created on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform .-Ministers:The BIS... |
Martin Donnelly Martin Donnelly (UK civil servant) Martin Donnelly is , Permanent Secretary of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in the United Kingdom, replacing Simon Fraser.... |
Permanent Secretary |
| Professor Sir John Beddington, CMG John Beddington Sir John Rex Beddington, CMG, FRS is the Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government and Professor of Applied Population Biology at Imperial College London.-Early life:... |
Government Chief Scientific Adviser & Head of Government Office for Science | |
| Department for Education Department for Education The Department for Education is a department of the UK government responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education.... |
Sir David Bell, KCB David Bell (British civil servant) Sir David Robert Bell KCB is Permanent Secretary at the British Department for Education. He took up his post on 3 January 2006. He was previously Chief Inspector of Schools at the Office for Standards in Education... |
Permanent Secretary |
| Department for Communities and Local Government Department for Communities and Local Government The Department for Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001... |
Sir Bob Kerslake | Permanent Secretary |
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport Department for Culture, Media and Sport The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is a department of the United Kingdom government, with responsibility for culture and sport in England, and some aspects of the media throughout the whole UK, such as broadcasting and internet.... |
Jonathan Stephens Jonathan Stephens Jonathan Andrew de Sievrac Stephens is a British civil servant, currently serving as the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.... |
Permanent Secretary |
| Ministry of Defence Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces.... |
Ursula Brennan Ursula Brennan Ursula Brennan has been the Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the UK's Ministry of Defence since November 2010. A career civil servant, she joined the MOD in October 2008, having spent most of her career at what is now the Department of Work and Pensions .-Background:Brennan was born in... |
Permanent Secretary |
| Jon Day | Second Permanent Secretary | |
| Bernard Gray | Chief of Defence Materiel | |
| Professor Mark Welland, FRS FREng Mark Welland Sir Mark Edward Welland FRS FREng, is a professor and the head of the Cambridge University Nanoscience Centre. He started his career in nanotechnology at IBM Research, Yorktown Heights, U.S., where he was part of the team that developed one of the first scanning tunneling microscopes.Having... |
Chief Scientific Adviser | |
| Department of Energy and Climate Change Department of Energy and Climate Change The Department of Energy and Climate Change is a British government department created on 3 October 2008 by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to take over some of the functions of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs... |
Moira Wallace Moira Wallace Moira Wallace OBE is a British civil servant. She is currently the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Energy and Climate Change, having moved from her role as Director General of the Crime Reduction and Community Safety Group the Home Office in November 2008.-Career:Wallace was appointed... |
Permanent Secretary |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom... |
Bronwyn Hill | Permanent Secretary |
| Foreign and Commonwealth Office Foreign and Commonwealth Office The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the... |
Simon Fraser, CMG | Permanent Under-Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service Diplomatic service Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel enjoy diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to other countries... |
| Department of Health | Una O'Brien, CB | Permanent Secretary |
| Professor Dame Sally Davies, DBE Sally Davies (professor) Dame Sally Claire Davies, DBE is the Director General of Research and Development and Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health and National Health Service in the United Kingdom.-Early life:... |
Chief Medical Officer for England | |
| Sir David Nicholson, KCB CBE David Nicholson David John Nicholson is a former Conservative politician in the United Kingdom and was Member of Parliament for Taunton from 1987 to 1997, being elected to the traditional Conservative seat after Edward du Cann left Parliament in 1987 and was elected again in 1992.He lost the seat in the 1997... |
Chief Executive, National Health Service National Health Service (England) The National Health Service or NHS is the publicly funded healthcare system in England. It is both the largest and oldest single-payer healthcare system in the world. It is able to function in the way that it does because it is primarily funded through the general taxation system, similar to how... (NHS) England |
|
| Home Office Home Office The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,... |
Dame Helen Ghosh, DCB Helen Ghosh Dame Helen Frances Ghosh DCB is a British civil servant. She is currently the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office, having moved from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at the end of 2010... |
Permanent Secretary |
| Department for International Development Department for International Development The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current... |
Mark Lowcock | Permanent Secretary |
| Ministry of Justice Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom) The Ministry of Justice is a ministerial department of the UK Government headed by the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, who is responsible for improvements to the justice system so that it better serves the public... |
Sir Suma Chakrabarti, KCB Suma Chakrabarti Sir Suma Chakrabarti, KCB is Permanent Secretary at the UK's Ministry of Justice. He holds office as Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, and, as such, is responsible for the running of the Crown Office, under the directions of the Lord Chancellor.He was appointed on 15 November 2007... |
Permanent Secretary and Clerk of the Crown in Chancery Clerk of the Crown in Chancery In the Government of the United Kingdom, the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery is a senior civil servant who is the head of the Crown Office. The Crown Office, a section of the Ministry of Justice, has custody of the Great Seal of the Realm, and has certain administrative functions in connection with... |
| HM Revenue and Customs | Mike Clasper | Chairman |
| Dame Lesley Strathie, DCB Lesley Strathie Dame Lesley Ann Strathie, DCB is a British Civil Servant. She recently stepped down as Chief Executive of and Permanent Secretary to HM Revenue and Customs due to ill health..... |
Chief Executive | |
| Dave Hartnett, CB Dave Hartnett David Anthony "Dave" Hartnett CB is a British civil servant who is currently serving as the Permanent Secretary for Tax at HM Revenue and Customs .-Career:... |
Second Permanent Secretary for Tax | |
| Department for Transport Department for Transport In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved... |
Lin Homer Lin Homer Linda Margaret "Lin" Homer, CB is a British civil servant serving as the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Transport.... |
Permanent Secretary |
| HM Treasury HM Treasury HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy... |
Sir Nicholas Macpherson, KCB Nicholas Macpherson Sir Nicholas Macpherson, KCB is a senior British civil servant, serving as the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury since 2 August 2005. He succeeded Sir Gus O'Donnell upon the latter's promotion to Cabinet Secretary.... |
Permanent Secretary |
| Tom Scholar Tom Scholar Thomas Whinfield Scholar, known commonly as Tom Scholar, is a British Civil Servant who is a director of the nationalised bank, Northern Rock and was previously Chief of Staff for Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street... |
Second Permanent Secretary and Managing Director of Public Services and Growth | |
| Department for Work and Pensions Department for Work and Pensions The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and... |
Robert Devereux Robert Devereux Robert Devereux may refer to:*Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, executed for treason*Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, son of the above*Roberto Devereux, an opera by Donizetti*Robert Devereux... |
Permanent Secretary |
| Darra Singh | Second Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive, JobCentre Plus Jobcentre Plus Jobcentre Plus was a government agency for working-age people in Great Britain. The agency was formed when the Employment Service, which operated Jobcentres, merged with the Benefits Agency, which ran social security offices, and was re-named Jobcentre Plus on 1 April 2002... |
|
| Non-Ministerial Departments | ||
| Attorney General's Office | Keir Starmer, QC Keir Starmer Keir Starmer, QC, is a barrister in England and Wales. He became the fourteenth Director of Public Prosecutions and the sixth head of the Crown Prosecution Service on 1 November 2008... |
Director of Public Prosecutions Director of Public Prosecutions The Director of Public Prosecutions is the officer charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world... , Crown Prosecution Service Crown Prosecution Service The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the... |
| Paul Jenkins, QC | Treasury Solicitor Treasury Solicitor's Department The Treasury Solicitor's Department is the largest in-house legal organisation in the United Kingdom's Government Legal Service.The Department is headed by the Treasury Solicitor. This office goes back several centuries... |
|
| Security Service MI5 The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence... (formerly MI5) |
Jonathan Evans Jonathan Evans (MI5 officer) Jonathan Evans is the Director General of the British Security Service, the United Kingdom's domestic security and counter-intelligence service... |
Director-General Director-General of MI5 The Director General of the Security Service is the head of the Security Service , the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency... |
| Secret Intelligence Service Secret Intelligence Service The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence... (formerly MI6) |
Sir John Sawers, KCMG John Sawers Sir Robert John Sawers, KCMG is a British diplomat and senior civil servant. He is the current Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service... |
Chief or 'C' |
| Government Communications Headquarters Government Communications Headquarters The Government Communications Headquarters is a British intelligence agency responsible for providing signals intelligence and information assurance to the UK government and armed forces... |
Iain Lobban Iain Lobban Iain Robert Lobban, CB is the Director of British intelligence gathering facility GCHQ, having succeeded Sir David Pepper in July 2008.-Education and career:... |
Director |
| UK Statistics Authority UK Statistics Authority The UK Statistics Authority is an independent body operating at arm's length from Government as a non-ministerial department, directly accountable to Parliament... |
Jil Matheson Jil Matheson -Career:She joined the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in 1975. She worked on the Expenditure and Food Survey and the General Household Survey. After 1998 she worked on Neighbourhood Statistics... |
National Statistician |
| Devolved Administrations | ||
| Northern Ireland Executive Northern Ireland Executive The Northern Ireland Executive is the executive arm of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved legislature for Northern Ireland. It is answerable to the Assembly and was established according to the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which followed the Good Friday Agreement... |
Bruce Robinson | Permanent Secretary and Head, Northern Ireland Civil Service Northern Ireland Civil Service The Northern Ireland Civil Service is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that supports the Northern Ireland Executive, the devolved government of Northern Ireland.... |
| Scottish Government | Sir Peter Housden, KCB Peter Housden Sir Peter James Housden KCB is Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government since July 2010. He was previously Permanent Secretary of the Department for Communities and Local Government.... |
Permanent Secretary |
| Welsh Government | Dame Gillian Morgan, DBE Gillian Morgan Dame Gillian Morgan, DBE . Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Assembly Government from 1 May 2008.-Healthcare:Morgan's career has been mainly in healthcare, both in medicine and management and includes a period as Chief Executive of North and East Devon Health Authority... |
Permanent Secretary |
Outside the UK
In some countries of the Commonwealth of NationsCommonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
, the popular term for the equivalent position is now “Principal Secretary”.
In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the position is called the "Departmental Secretary
Departmental Secretary
A departmental secretary is the head of an Australian Commonwealth or state government department especially in Victoria...
", “Secretary of the Department”, or “Director-General of the Department” in some states and territories.
In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the position is “Deputy Minister
Deputy Minister (Canada)
In Canada, a deputy minister is the senior civil servant in a government department. He or she takes political direction from an elected minister. Responsibility for the department's day-to-day operations, budget and program development lie with the deputy minister...
”.
In Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the equivalent office is called Staatssekretär (state secretary).
In Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, heads of policy bureaux, i.e., Secretaries, were filled by civil servants until their titles were changed to Permanent Secretaries in 2002, when political appointees filled the positions of secretaries under the second Tung Chee Hua government. Since August 2005, the Office of the Chief Executive also has a permanent secretary. His ranking is, however, lower than most other permanent secretaries according to the pay scale.
In the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, the position of “Secretary-General” of a Department is almost identical to that of a Permanent Secretary in the British Civil Service, with the exception that since the introduction in the mid-1990s of the Strategic Management Initiative, the post is no longer permanent, but carries a seven year time limit. This coincided with the introduction of the change of title from the previous title of “Secretary”. Irish government departments may also have a “Second Secretary”, which is equivalent to the Second Permanent Secretary grade in the British Civil Service. See also Civil service of the Republic of Ireland
Civil service of the Republic of Ireland
The Civil Service of Ireland is the collective term for the permanent staff of the Departments of State and certain State Agencies who advise and work for the Government of Ireland. It consists of two broad components, the Civil Service of the Government and the Civil Service of the State...
.
In New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the civil service head of a ministry is ordinarily entitled “Chief Executive”, though in some cases (such as the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service is an intelligence agency of the New Zealand government.-Purpose:As a civilian organisation, the Security Intelligence Service takes no part in the enforcement of security...
) the title is “Director-General”. Organisations with enforcement powers, such as the Inland Revenue Department
Inland Revenue Department (New Zealand)
Inland Revenue , previously known as the Inland Revenue Department, is the New Zealand government department responsible for the collection of over 80% of the Crown's revenue in New Zealand. It also collects and disburses social support programme payments and provides the government with policy...
, the New Zealand Police
New Zealand Police
The New Zealand Police is the national police force of New Zealand, responsible for enforcing criminal law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace throughout New Zealand...
, and the New Zealand Customs Service
New Zealand Customs Service
The Customs Service is a state sector organisation of New Zealand whose role is to provide border control and protect the community from potential risks arising from international trade and travel, as well as collecting duties and taxes on imports to the country. New Zealand's Minister of Customs...
are headed by commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
s. Civil service heads are officially employed by the State Services Commission
State Services Commission
The State Services Commission , formerly the Public Service Commission, is a central government agency within the New Zealand government. The current State Services Commissioner is Iain Rennie...
, further separating them from the politicians who hold ministerial positions.
In Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Permanent Secretaries have to retire after a 10-year term even if they are younger than the official retirement age of 62 in Singapore, starting in 2000 when the Public Service Leadership scheme was introduced. This is to provide opportunities for younger officers from the Administrative Service – the elite arm of the Civil Service – to rise up the rank.
In Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, the post of Permanent Secretary is the civil service head of the ministry. Normally referred to as Secretary, non civil service, political appointees are regularly appointed.