Minister of State for Social Care (UK) explained

Post:
Minister of State for Social Care
Insignia:Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government) (2022).svg
Insigniacaption:Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
Department:Department of Health and Social Care
Incumbent:Stephen Kinnock
Incumbentsince:8 July 2024
Style:Minister
Nominator:Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Appointer:The Monarch
Appointer Qualified:on advice of the Prime Minister
Termlength:At His Majesty's pleasure
Website:https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state--143

The Minister of State for Social Care is a mid-level position in the Department of Health and Social Care in the British government.[1] The minister often deputises for the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care alongside the Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care. The minister is in charge of social care in England.

History

In the 1960s, the role was known as Minister of State for Social Services in the Department of Social Security.

The position was created in 2006, with Ivan Lewis being made Minister of State for Care Services.[2]

After the Conservative victory in the 2015 United Kingdom general election Alistair Burt returned to Government as Minister of State for Care and Support in the Department of Health. In July 2016, Burt announced that he would be resigning from his Ministerial position, "Twenty-four years and one month ago, I answered my first question as a junior minister in oral questions and I’ve just completed my last oral questions," Burt said. It was made clear that his resignation was not related to Brexit.[3]

The position was given to David Mowat and renamed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Care and Support. David Mowat lost his Warrington South seat in the snap 2017 general election.[4] He was not replaced until 2018 when Prime Minister Theresa May appointed Caroline Dinenage as the new Minister of Care.[5] Dinenage stayed in her role when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister and served in the First Johnson ministry and into the Second Johnson ministry.

As part of the 2020 British cabinet reshuffle, a number of junior ministers were moved around. Dinenage was made the new Minister of State for Digital and Culture.[6] Helen Whately was her replacement.[7] [8] Helen Whatley has been in charge of government response to social care during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom,[9] particularly in reference to vaccination deployment.[10]

Responsibilities

The Minister of State for Social Care leads on the following:

Minister of State for Social Care

NamePortraitTook officeLeft officePolitical partyPrime Minister
Minister of State for Social Services
Stephen SwinglerMP for Newcastle-under-Lyme1 November 196819 February 1969LabourHarold Wilson
David EnnalsMP for Dover1 November 196819 June 1970LabourHarold Wilson
Baroness Serota25 February 196919 June 1970LabourHarold Wilson
Minister of State for Care Services
Ivan LewisMP for Bury South15 May 20063 October 2008Labour
Phil HopeMP for Corby5 October 200811 May 2010LabourGordon Brown
Paul BurstowMP for Sutton and Cheam11 May 20104 September 2012Liberal DemocratDavid Cameron
Minister of State for Care and Support
Norman LambMP for North Norfolk4 September 20128 May 2015Liberal DemocratDavid Cameron
Minister of State for Community and Social Care
Alistair BurtMP for North East Bedfordshire11 May 201515 July 2016ConservativeDavid Cameron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Care and Support
David MowatMP for Warrington South14 July 20169 June 2017ConservativeTheresa May
Minister of State for Social Care
Caroline DinenageMP for Gosport9 January 201813 February 2020Conservative
Helen WhatelyMP for Faversham and Mid Kent13 February 202016 September 2021ConservativeBoris Johnson
Minister of State for Care and Mental Health
Gillian KeeganMP for Chichester16 September 20218 September 2022 ConservativeBoris Johnson
Minister of State for Health
Robert JenrickMP for Newark7 September 202225 October 2022ConservativeLiz Truss
Minister of State for Social Care
Helen WhatelyMP for Faversham and Mid Kent26 October 20225 July 2024ConservativeRishi Sunak
Stephen KinnockMP for Aberafan Maesteg8 July 2024PresentLabourKeir Starmer

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Minister of State (Minister for Care). 2022-12-03. GOV.UK. en.
  2. Web site: Samuel. Mithran. 2008-07-29. Ivan Lewis challenges adult care sector to deliver. 2020-11-20. Community Care. en-GB.
  3. Web site: May. Josh. 5 July 2016. Alistair Burt announces resignation as Health Minister. 8 December 2018. PoliticsHome.com.
  4. Web site: Coles. Amy. 2017-06-09. Warrington South won by Labour as Faisal Rashid snatches Tory seat. 2020-11-01. Liverpool Echo. en.
  5. Web site: 2020-02-25. Hft welcomes new Minister of State for Care. 2020-11-01. Politics Home. en.
  6. Web site: Douglas. Alex. 2020-02-17. New Minister of Care appointed following cabinet reshuffle. 2020-11-01. Access and Mobility Professional. en-US.
  7. Web site: 2020-02-14. New jobs for Kent MPs in government reshuffle. 2020-11-01. Kent Online. en.
  8. Web site: 2020-02-14. New Minister of State for Care. 2020-10-28. Care Management Matters. en-GB.
  9. Web site: 2021-02-01. Too soon for families of vaccinated care home residents to visit loved ones, says Helen Whately. 2021-02-17. inews.co.uk. en.
  10. Web site: One in three care home workers turned down vaccine, JCVI boss tells MPs. 2021-02-24. LBC. en.