The minister of state for development and Africa,
formerly the minister of state for development and the secretary of state for international development, is a senior
minister of the Crown
Minister of the Crown is a formal constitutional term used in Commonwealth realms to describe a minister of the reigning sovereign or viceroy. The term indicates that the minister serves at His Majesty's pleasure, and advises the sovereign or ...
within the
Government of the United Kingdom.
The officeholder headed the
Department for International Development
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, logo = DfID.svg
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, logo_caption =
, picture = File:Admiralty Screen (411824276).jpg
, picture_width = 180px
, picture_caption = Department for International Development (London office) (far right ...
(DFID) as secretary of state from 1997 to 2020. The office formed part of the
British Cabinet. The
Department for International Development
, type = Department
, logo = DfID.svg
, logo_width = 180px
, logo_caption =
, picture = File:Admiralty Screen (411824276).jpg
, picture_width = 180px
, picture_caption = Department for International Development (London office) (far right ...
was abolished in September 2020, and
Anne-Marie Trevelyan was the final holder of the post.
The post was made a ministerial position attending Cabinet in the
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in 2022. The corresponding
shadow minister is the
shadow cabinet minister for international development.
Responsibilities
Former
Corresponding to what is generally known as an
international development minister in many other countries, the International Development Minister's remit includes:
* Oversight of
development aid
* Oversight of
international development
International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic or human development on an international scale. It is the basis for international classifications ...
(
developing countries)
* Delivery and management of spending 0.7%
GNI on development
* Communications for international development
Current
The Minister of State for Development and Africa’s responsibilities are:
* Africa
* International Development Strategy, Official Development Assistance (ODA), Independent Commisison for Aid Impact (ICAI)
* British Investment Partnerships
* International finance
* global education, gender and equality (including scholarships)
* global health
* humanitarian and migration
* safeguarding
* research and evidence (including Chief Scientific Advised)
History
A separate Ministry of Overseas Development was established by
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from October 1964 to June 1970, and again from March 1974 to April 1976. He ...
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. 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
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ministries of fore ...
(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 Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ministries of fore ...
. The process was completed by 2 September 2020, with the last international development secretary
Anne-Marie Trevelyan remaining in place until that time.
The position was revived at a Minister of State attending Cabinet role in 2022
List of Ministers and Secretaries of State
* Incumbent's length of term last updated: .
References
{{Cabinet positions in the United Kingdom
International Development
International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic or human development on an international scale. It is the basis for international classifications ...
Ministerial offices in the United Kingdom
1964 establishments in the United Kingdom
2020 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
Department for International Development