Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs |
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| Foreign and Commonwealth Office | |
| Style | Foreign Secretary (informal) The Right Honourable (within the UK and the Commonwealth) His Excellency (in international correspondence) |
| Member of | Cabinet Privy Council National Security Council |
| Reports to | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom |
| Residence | No. 1 Carlton Gardens Chevening |
| Seat | Westminster |
| Appointer | The Monarch
on advice of the Prime Minister
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| Term length | At Her Majesty's pleasure |
| Formation | 27 March 1782 |
| First holder | Charles James Fox |
Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, normally referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a senior, high-ranking official within the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Foreign Secretary is a member of the Cabinet, and the post is considered one of the Great Offices of State. It is considered a position similar to that of Foreign Minister in other countries. The Foreign Secretary reports directly to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The Foreign Secretary's remit includes: relations with foreign countries, matters pertaining to the Commonwealth of Nations and the Overseas Territories in addition to the promotion of British interests abroad. The Foreign Secretary also has ministerial oversight for the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). The Foreign Secretary works out of the Foreign Office in Whitehall, and the post's official residences are 1 Carlton Gardens in London and Chevening in Kent. Margaret Beckett, appointed in 2006 by Tony Blair, is the only woman to have held the post.
The current Foreign Secretary since 24 July 2019 is Dominic Raab.
