Secretary of State for Air explained

Post:Secretary
Body:State for Air
Insignia:Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
Insigniacaption:Royal Arms as used by His Majesty's Government
Department:Air Ministry
Status:Abolished
Formerly, Secretary of state
Member Of:British Cabinet
Privy Council
Seat:Westminster, London
Appointer:The British Monarch
Termlength:No fixed term
Precursor:President of the Air Council
Formation:10 January 1919
First:Winston Churchill
Last:Hugh Fraser
Abolished:1 April 1964
Succession:Secretary of State for Defence

The Secretary of State for Air was a secretary of state position in the British government that existed from 1919 to 1964. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. The Secretary of State for Air was supported by the Under-Secretary of State for Air.

History

The position was created on 10 January 1919 to manage the Royal Air Force. In 1946, the three posts of Secretary of State for War, First Lord of the Admiralty, and Secretary of State for Air became formally subordinated to that of Minister of Defence, which had itself been created in 1940 for the co-ordination of defence and security issues. On 1 April 1964, the Air Ministry was incorporated into the newly created united Ministry of Defence, and the position of Secretary of State for Air was abolished.

List of leaders

Chairman of the Joint War Air Committee, 1916

ChairmanTerm of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Edward Stanley
17th Earl of Derby

1916

1916
Conservative

Presidents of the Air Board, 1916–1917

PresidentTerm of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
George Curzon
1st Earl Curzon of Kedleston

1916

1917
Conservative
Weetman Pearson
1st Viscount Cowdray

1917

1917
Liberal

Presidents of the Air Council, 1917–1919

PresidentTerm of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Harold Harmsworth
1st Baron Rothermere

1917

1918
William Weir
1st Baron Weir

1918

1919
J. E. B. Seely

1919

1919
Conservative

Secretaries of State for Air, 1919–1964

SecretaryTerm of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Winston Churchill

1919

1921
Liberal
Frederick Edward Guest

1921

1922
Liberal
Sir Samuel Hoare

1922

1924
Conservative
Christopher Thomson
1st Baron Thomson

1924

1924
Labour
Sir Samuel Hoare

1924

1929
Conservative
Christopher Thomson
1st Baron Thomson

1929

1930
Labour
William Mackenzie
1st Baron Amulree

1930

1931
Labour
Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart
7th Marquess of Londonderry

1931

1935
Conservative
Philip Cunliffe-Lister
1st Viscount Swinton

1935

1938
Conservative
Sir Kingsley Wood

1938

1940
Conservative
Sir Samuel Hoare

1940

1940
Conservative
Sir Archibald Sinclair

1940

1945
Liberal
Harold Macmillan

1945

1945
Conservative
William Wedgwood Benn
1st Viscount Stansgate

1945

1946
Labour
Philip Noel-Baker

1946

1947
Labour
Arthur Henderson

1947

1951
Labour
William Sidney
6th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley

1951

1955
Conservative
Nigel Birch

1955

1957
Conservative
George Ward

1957

1960
Conservative
Julian Amery

1960

1962
Conservative
Hugh Fraser

1962

1964
Conservative

External links