Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence explained

Border:	parliamentary
Minister:	not_prime
Insignia:	Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government) (2022).svg
Insigniacaption:	Royal Arms as used by His Majesty's Government
Department:	Ministry of Defence
Post:	Permanent Under-Secretary for Defence
Incumbent:	David Williams
Incumbentsince:	April 2021
Appointer:	Prime Minister
Inaugural:	Henry Hardman
Formation:	1963
Reports To:	Secretary of State for Defence Cabinet Secretary
Member Of:	Defence Council Defence Board Defence Audit and Risk Assurance Committee People Committee Investment Approvals Committee Executive Committee
Style:	Permanent Secretary
Salary:	SCS Pay Band 4
Seat:	Ministry of Defence, London
Deputy:	Second Permanent Secretary

The Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence,^[1] also called the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defence,^[2] is the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defence. The office holder is the government's principal civilian adviser on Defence matters.^[3] The office holder is a member of the Defence Council and the Defence Board.^[4] They are the MOD Principal Accounting Officer,^[3] and are called to give evidence to the Defence Select Committee.^[5]

The position has existed in its current format since the formation of the modern Ministry of Defence in 1964.^[6] It was preceded by the Permanent Secretary at the earlier Ministry of Defence (1947–1964), and by the Permanent Secretaries at the government departments that were absorbed into the Ministry of Defence in 1964: the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty, the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for War, and the Permanent Secretary to the Air Ministry.

The current Permanent Secretary to the MOD is David Williams.

Responsibilities

• Leading defence (with CDS);
• Setting strategy for defence, including corporate strategy (subject to ministers’ direction, and together with CDS);
• Heading the Department of State and the MOD Civil Service;
• Providing policy advice to ministers and leading the relationship with other government departments;
• The overall organisation, management and staffing of defence;
• Performing the full range of Accounting Officer responsibilities, including the delegation of financial and other authority and accountability to senior colleagues, with personal accountability to Parliament for the economic, efficient and effective use of defence resources. ^[7]

Permanent Secretaries to the Ministry of Defence (1947–1964)

The Permanent Secretaries at the earlier Ministry of Defence (1947–1964):^[8]

• 1947: Sir Henry Wilson Smith
• 1948: Sir Harold Parker
• 1956: Sir Richard Powell
• 1960: Sir Edward Playfair
• 1961: Sir Robert Scott
• 1964: Sir Henry Hardman

Permanent Secretaries to the Ministry of Defence (1964–present)

• Henry Hardman (1964–1966)^[9]
• James Dunnett (1966–1974)^[9]
• Michael Cary (1974–1976)^[9]
• Frank Cooper (1976–1982)^[9]
• Clive Whitmore (1982–1988)^[9]
• Michael Quinlan (1988–1992)^[9]
• Christopher France (1992–1995)^[9]
• Richard Mottram (1995–1998)^[10]
• Kevin Tebbit (1998–2005)
• Bill Jeffrey (2005–2010)
• Ursula Brennan (2010–2012)
• Jon Thompson (2012–2016)
• Stephen Lovegrove (2016–2021)
• David Williams (2021–)^[11]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts Volume One 2008-2009 . gov.uk . 20 July 2009 . 17 March 2022 . Introduction by Chief of Defence Staff and Permanent Under Secretary of State for Defence.
2. Web site: Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2020–21 . gov.uk . 20 January 2022 . 17 March 2022 . David Williams CB Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Defence.
3. Web site: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE ACCOUNTING OFFICER SYSTEM STATEMENT 2020 . gov.uk . 17 March 2022 . 2.1 As the MOD Permanent Secretary, I am the government's principal civilian adviser on Defence. I have primary responsibility for policy, finance and business planning, and I am the MOD Principal Accounting Officer..
4. Web site: Ministry of Defence: Our governance . GOV.UK . 17 March 2022.
5. Web site: MoD officials questioned on Annual Report and Accounts . Parliament.UK . 31 December 2022. The Defence Committee holds an evidence session on the Ministry of Defence’s Annual Report and Accounts... Witnesses: Tuesday 26 April 2022: At 10.35am: David Williams, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence.
6. Web site: Ministry of Defence: Permanent Under Secretary of State for Defence: Registered Files (D/PUS and PUS Series) . National Archives . 17 March 2022 . Under the Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964, the Admiralty, War Office and Air Ministry were absorbed into an enlarged Ministry of Defence under a Secretary of State for Defence from 1 April 1964. As a result, the post of Permanent Under Secretary of State (PUS) for Defence was created..
7. Web site: David Williams . 2023-07-27 . GOV.UK . en.
8. David Butler and Gareth Butler, Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900–2000, eighth edition, Macmillan, 2000, p. 302
9. Web site: Ministry of Defence: Permanent Under Secretary of State for Defence: Registered Files (D/PUS and PUS Series) . National Archives . 17 March 2022 .
10. Web site: Interview: Sir Richard Mottram . CivilServiceWorld . 2 June 2010 . 11 March 2022 . 1995 Rejoins MoD as permanent secretary. 1998 Takes over at vast Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions..
11. Web site: Appointment of Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defence . GOV.UK . 26 March 2021 . 17 March 2022.