14-803: The secretary of state for Commonwealth relations was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom , responsible for dealing with the United Kingdom 's relations with members of the Commonwealth of Nations (its former colonies). The minister's department was the Commonwealth Relations Office (CRO). The position was created in 1947 out of the old positions of secretary of state for dominion affairs and secretary of state for India . In 1966,
28-601: The Dutch Republic , Scandinavia , Poland , Russia , and the Holy Roman Empire . Domestic responsibilities in England and Wales were shared between the two Secretaries. After the union with Scotland in 1707, the two secretaries also took responsibility for Scotland when there was no Secretary of State for Scotland in office. Until 1706, the practice was generally for the senior official to lead
42-554: The Monarch exercising royal prerogative on the advice of the government. By convention secretaries of state must be a member of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords , but the prime minister can advise the monarch to confer a peerage to satisfy this requirement. Most secretaries of state are incorporated as a " corporation sole ". This gives the minister a separate legal personality, allowing continuity in areas such as
56-574: The Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom . Secretaries of state head most major government departments and make up the majority of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom . Legislation in the United Kingdom is often written like this example section of a hypothetical Silly Walks Act 1970 : 1. Grant powers On the appointed day, the Secretary of State shall be empowered to grant money towards
70-935: The Southern Department The Secretary of State for the Southern Department was a position in the cabinet of the government of the Kingdom of Great Britain up to 1782, when the Southern Department became the Home Office . Before 1782, the responsibilities of the two British Secretaries of State for the Northern and the Southern departments were divided not based on the principles of modern ministerial divisions, but geographically. The Secretary of State for
84-848: The Southern Department was responsible for Ireland , the Channel Islands , France , Spain , Portugal , the Old Swiss Confederacy , the states of Italy , and the Ottoman Empire . He was also responsible for the American colonies until 1768, when the charge was given to the Secretary of State for the Colonies . The Secretary of State for the Northern Department was responsible for relations with
98-481: The Southern Department, and the junior the Northern Department, with the Northern Secretary being transferred to the Southern Department when a vacancy arose at the latter. During the reigns of George I and George II , however, the Northern Department began to be seen as the more important, since its responsibilities included the monarchs' ancestral home of Hanover . During the reign of George III ,
112-526: The development of fatuous ambulations as seen fit. In legislation, the term "Secretary of State", thus capitalised, is interpreted under the Interpretation Act 1978 as referring to any one of the secretaries of state in use; in practice, such secretaries of state are each allocated a portfolio by the prime minister, and only exercise the powers in that portfolio. In this example, a "Secretary of State for Silly Walks" would be appointed to exercise
126-510: The embryonic offices of foreign secretary and home secretary . Over time, the number of secretaries of states grew, so that there were five in 1900 and 14 by 1996. There are currently 16 secretaries of state. The secretaries of state that have been used for the matters of health, education, work, business, energy, environment, transport and the regions are shown in the graphic below. It shows how portfolios of responsibilities have been broadly passed down from one secretary of state position to
140-423: The form of the offices of the secretary of state for the Northern Department and the secretary of state for the Southern Department , was made in 1689, though the office had been first divided into the Northern and Southern Department purviews in 1660. In 1782, the responsibilities of these offices were changed, so that one would be responsible for foreign affairs and one for domestic affairs, thus establishing
154-522: The ownership of property between office-holder changes. The origin of the office lies in the office of the king's private secretary . However, by the Tudor period , the office's purview had become more onerous. In 1539 or 1540, Henry VIII appointed two people to the office. After the Stuart Restoration , the practice of appointing two secretaries of state resumed. A formal division, in
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#1732765465917168-575: The position was merged with that of the secretary of state for the colonies to form that of secretary of state for Commonwealth affairs , which was in turn merged with the secretary of state for foreign affairs in 1968 to create the new position of secretary of state for foreign and Commonwealth affairs . The equivalent position today is the secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs . Secretary of State (United Kingdom) His Majesty's principal secretaries of state , or secretaries of state , are senior ministers of
182-671: The position(s) directly below it. However, it is impossible for such a graphic to be completely accurate; it cannot show smaller changes, or gains or losses of responsibilities within a position due to changes of responsibilities for the UK Government (for example, due to devolution or Brexit ). It is not to scale. In the gaps, and before the first of these secretaries of state, relevant responsibilities were taken on by ministers not titled 'Secretary of State'. Key: The Secretaries of state that have been used for culture, heritage and sport are as follows: Secretary of State for
196-528: The provisions of the Act, but could theoretically exercise the powers of, for example, the Secretary of State for Scotland at any time. There are exceptions, in that legislation sometimes refers to particular secretaries of state. Under the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975 , a maximum of 21 secretaries of state can receive a salary. Secretaries of state and other government ministers are appointed by
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