Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury

Updated on Dec 01, 2023

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Inaugural holder Phillip Oppenheim Website HM Treasury		Formation 23 July 1996

Appointer Elizabeth II on the advice of the Prime Minister

The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury is a junior ministerial post in the British Treasury, ranked below the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Paymaster General and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, and alongside the Economic Secretary to the Treasury. It ranks at Parliamentary Secretary level and is not a Cabinet office. Unlike the other posts of Secretary in to the Treasury, it is only used occasionally, normally when the post of Paymaster General is allocated to a Minister outside the Treasury. It is currently not used.

The office was reinstated in June 2007, when Angela Eagle was appointed Exchequer Secretary after Tessa Jowell had been appointed Paymaster General and Olympic Minister within the Cabinet Office. The previous Exchequer Secretary was Phillip Oppenheim, who held the post from 23 July 1996 to 2 May 1997, when he lost his seat in the general election that brought Tony Blair to power. Angela Eagle was replaced by Kitty Ussher in the June 2009 reshuffle, with Jowell continuing in the Paymaster General role. Ussher resigned on 17 June 2009 and was immediately replaced by Sarah McCarthy-Fry. Following the 2010 general election, the post was taken by Conservative MP David Gauke. In May 2015, Conservative MP Damian Hinds assumed the office. Following Theresa May's first ministerial appointments in July 2016, the post is again not currently in use.

Responsibilities

HM Treasury

Enterprise and productivity including small business taxation and support to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on economic reform

Competition and better regulation

Science, innovation and skills policy, including implementation of the 10-year science and innovation strategy and the R&D tax credit

Regional economic policy

Urban regeneration and social exclusion including housing, planning and planning gain supplement;

Environmental issues including taxation of transport, international Climate Change issues including global carbon trading and EU ETS, and Energy Issues

Taxation of oil

Excise duties and gambling, including excise fraud and law enforcement

Public-private partnerships including Private Finance Initiative, and Partnerships UK

Ministerial responsibility for the Office for National Statistics, the Royal Mint and Departmental Minister for HM Treasury Group

Support to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on public spending issues including long-term challenges in the run up to the Comprehensive Spending Review and selected Cabinet Committees

Assist where necessary on European issues

Working with the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on the Finance Bill

Responsibility for procurement policy and the former Office of Government Commerce was transferred to the Cabinet Office in 2011.

Exchequer Secretaries to the Treasury

Colour key (for political parties):
Conservative Labour

References

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Contents

Responsibilities

Exchequer Secretaries to the Treasury

References