Home Secretary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids United KingdomSecretary of State for the Home Department |
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![]() Royal Arms as used by the Home Office
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Home Office | |
Style | Home Secretary (informal) The Right Honourable (within the UK and Commonwealth) |
Member of |
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Reports to | The Prime Minister |
Seat | Westminster |
Nominator | The Prime Minister |
Appointer | The Monarch
(on the advice of the Prime Minister)
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Term length | At His Majesty's pleasure |
Formation | 27 March 1782 |
First holder | Earl of Shelburne |
Salary | £159,038 per annum (2022) (including £86,584 MP salary) |
Website | Home Secretary |
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, often called the Home Secretary, is a very important government minister in the United Kingdom. This person leads the Home Office, which is a big government department. Being the Home Secretary is one of the most senior jobs in the government. It means they are a key member of the British Cabinet and the National Security Council.
This job is similar to an "interior minister" in other countries. It was created in 1782, but its duties have changed a lot over time. Many famous people have been Home Secretary, including future prime ministers like Winston Churchill and Theresa May. The person who held the job for the longest was Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, for over nine years! The shortest time was Grant Shapps, who served for only six days. In 2007, Jacqui Smith became the first woman to be Home Secretary. The current Home Secretary is Yvette Cooper.
The Home Secretary works with other ministers in the Home Office. Their work is also checked by special committees in Parliament. Sometimes, this role can be tricky because many difficult issues can come up.
Contents
What Does the Home Secretary Do?
The Home Secretary is like the "interior minister" for the UK. Their main jobs include:
- Keeping the Peace: They oversee law enforcement in England and Wales. This means they are in charge of police forces.
- National Safety: They deal with matters of national security, which means protecting the country from threats.
- Immigration Rules: They handle issues about immigration, deciding who can come into the UK and how.
- Spy Agency Oversight: They oversee the Security Service (MI5), which is the UK's domestic intelligence agency.
Before 2007, the Home Secretary was also in charge of prisons and probation in England and Wales. But these duties were moved to the Ministry of Justice that year.
How the Role Started
The idea of a "Secretary of State" in England goes back to the early 1600s. The job of Secretary of State for the Home Department was created in 1782. This happened when the government changed how it handled its "Northern" and "Southern" departments. These were split into the Foreign Office (dealing with other countries) and the Home Office (dealing with things inside the UK).
In 2007, some of the Home Office's responsibilities for criminal justice were moved to the new Ministry of Justice.
A Look at Past Home Secretaries

Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Ministro del Interior del Reino Unido para niños
- British government departments
- Cabinet (government)
- Great Offices of State
- Interior minister
- List of British governments
- List of current interior ministers
- List of permanent under secretaries of state of the Home Office
- Ministry of Justice
- Shadow Home Secretary
- Home Office under Theresa May
- Under Secretary of State for the Home Department