Secretary of State for International Development
 Secretary of State for International Development  | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Start | 18 October 1964 |
| End | September 2020 |
| Leader of | DFID |
| Website | http://www.dfid.gov.uk/ |
| Was a senior Minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of the Department for International Development (DFID). Abolished in September 2020. | |
The Secretary of State for International Development, also referred to as the International Development Secretary, was a senior Minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of the Department for International Development (DFID). The office formed part of the British Cabinet.
The Department for International Development was abolished in September 2020, and Anne-Marie Trevelyan was the final holder of the post.
The office was shadowed by the Shadow Secretary of State for International Development.
Responsibilities
Corresponding to what is generally known as an international development minister in many other countries, the International Development Secretary's remit included:
- Oversight of development aid
- Oversight of international development (developing countries)
- Delivery and management of spending 0.7% GNI on development
- Communications for international development[1]
History
A separate Ministry of Overseas Development was established by Harold Wilson when he came to office in 1964. The first three holders of the office served in the Cabinet, but from 29 August 1967 the office was demoted. Under Edward Heath, the Ministry was re-incorporated into the FCO on 15 October 1970. Wilson again established the Ministry in 1974, but later merged it into the FCO once again: from 10 June 1975 to 8 October 1979 the foreign secretary served as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Minister for Overseas Development in the cabinet, while the minister for overseas development held the rank of Minister of State within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The minister of state had day-to-day responsibility. Under the Labour government of the 1970s, Reg Prentice sat in the Cabinet during his term.[2] The post's last and main format was created in 1997 when the Department for International Development was made independent of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
In June 2020, it was announced the Department for International Development would be dissolved, and its operations would be merged into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The process was completed by 2 September 2020, with the last international development secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan remaining in place until that time.[3]
Office Holders on Wikispooks
| Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Alok Sharma | 24 July 2019 | 13 February 2020 |
| Rory Stewart | 1 May 2019 | |
| Penny Mordaunt | 9 November 2017 | 1 May 2019 |
| Andrew Mitchell | 12 May 2010 | 4 September 2012 |
| Hilary Benn | 6 October 2003 | 28 June 2007 |
| Valerie Amos | 12 May 2003 | 6 October 2003 |
References
- ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/secretary-of-state-for-international-development
- ↑ http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20101011133338/http%3A//www.dfid.gov.uk/About%2DDFID/History1/
- ↑ https://www.itv.com/news/2020-06-16/department-for-international-development-dfid-to-merge-with-foreign-office/
