Minister for the Civil Service explained

Minister for the Civil Service should not be confused with Minister for Civil Service Affairs.

Post:	Minister for the Civil Service
Insignia:	Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government) (2022).svg
Insigniacaption:	Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
Incumbent:	Sir Keir Starmer
Department:	Government of the United Kingdom
Style:	The Right Honourable
Member Of:	Cabinet
Residence:	10 Downing Street
Seat:	Westminster
Appointer:	The King
Termlength:	At His Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural:	Harold Wilson

In the Government of the United Kingdom, the Minister for the Civil Service is responsible for regulations regarding His Majesty's Civil Service,^[1] the role of which is to assist the governments of the United Kingdom in formulating and implementing policies. The position is invariably held by the prime minister of the United Kingdom.^[2]

The role

In recognition of the primary authority of the prime minister over the Civil Service, it is a constitutional convention that the ministry would always be held by the prime minister.^[3] The list of ministers for the civil service is therefore identical to the list of prime ministers of the United Kingdom from 1968 onwards.

By the terms of the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992, the minister may delegate his or her power to ministers and others such as the Scottish Government. Prime Minister Gordon Brown appointed Tom Watson to be responsible for digital engagement and Civil Service issues,^[4] while the Prime Minister has given the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office (previously Michael Gove and Steve Barclay) responsibility for the Civil Service.^{[5] [6]}

The statutory instrument The Transfer of Functions (Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service) Order 1995, which transferred functions to the minister responsible for the Civil Service, came into force on 1 April 1995.^[7]

The Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 codifies the power of the Minister for the Civil Service to manage the Civil Service, including the 'power to make appointments', the publication of the Civil Service code of conduct, and the right to be consulted before publication of recruitment principles by the Civil Service Commission.^[8] The Act also requires the Minister for the Civil Service to publish a special adviser code of conduct, approve the terms and conditions of appointment of special advisers, and publish an annual report about special advisers serving the UK government.^[9]

Civil Service Department

The ministership was created for Harold Wilson on 1 November 1968 when responsibilities for the pay and management of the Civil Service was transferred from HM Treasury to a new Civil Service Department.

Margaret Thatcher announced the abolition of the Civil Service Department to the House of Commons on 12 November 1981.^{[10] [11]}

Junior ministers in the Civil Service Department

Portrait		Name (birth–death)	Term of office		Concurrent ministerial portfolios	Party	Ministry
		Edward Shackleton Baron Shackleton	1968	1970	Lord Privy Seal		Labour		Wilson
		Parliamentary Secretary David Howell	1970	1972		Conservative	Heath
		Parliamentary Secretary Kenneth Baker	1972	1974
		Parliamentary Secretary Geoffrey Johnson-Smith
		Minister of State Robert Sheldon	1974	1974		Labour	Wilson
		Parliamentary Secretary John Grant
		Minister of State Charles Morris	1974	1979			Wilson & Callaghan

Sources

• Book: Daintith. Terence. Page. Alan C.. The Executive in the Constitution: Structure, Autonomy, and Internal Control. Introduction. http://fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/academic/pdf/13/9780198268703.pdf. 26 August 1999. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-826870-3.
• Book: Pilkington, Colin. The Civil Service in Britain Today. 1999. Manchester University Press. 978-0-7190-5224-8.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Civil Service Order in Council 1995 . UK Civil Service Commissioners . https://web.archive.org/web/20140720152324/http://www.civilservicecommissioners.org/web-resources/resources/0d89ba78b7c.pdf . 20 July 2014.
2. Web site: Her Majesty's Government . 9 June 2009 . Government of the United Kingdom . https://web.archive.org/web/20100216081044/http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page19564 . 16 February 2010 . dead .
3. Ministers in merger dilemma . David Wood . 17 October 1968 . 1 . 57384.
4. Web site: Sparrow . Andrew . Profile: Tom Watson . 2 June 2009 . The Guardian . 2 September 2017.
5. Web site: Ministerial Code. Hansard. 2 March 2020. 3 March 2020. As the Minister responsible for the civil service, I am pleased to be here in order to be able to uphold the ministerial code. Gove. Michael.
6. Web site: Priti Patel allegations will be investigated by Cabinet Office, Government says. The Telegraph. 2 March 2020. 2 March 2020. Yorke. Harry. Hymas. Charles. Michael Gove, the Cabinet minister responsible for the civil service.
7. Web site: The Transfer of Functions (Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service) Order 1995 . legislation.gov.uk . 30 January 2021.
8. Web site: Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, sections 3(1), 3(3), 5(1), 11(2) . legislation.gov.uk . 30 January 2021.
9. Web site: Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, sections 8(1), 15(1), 16(1) . legislation.gov.uk . 30 January 2021.
10. Web site: HC Stmnt: [Civil Service Department (Transfer of Responsibilities)] ]. 12 November 1981 . Margaret Thatcher Foundation . 2 September 2017.
11. Web site: Part 3: Changes in the Public Service since 1967 (Continued) . Parliament of the United Kingdom . 1998 . 2 September 2017.