Home Secretary facts for kids

This page is about the ministerial office in the United Kingdom. For other uses, see Home Secretary (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids United Kingdom Secretary of State for the Home Department
Royal Arms as used by the Home Office
Incumbent Yvette Cooper since 5 July 2024
Home Office
Style	Home Secretary (informal) The Right Honourable (within the UK and Commonwealth)
Member of	Cabinet Privy Council National Security Council
Reports to	The Prime Minister
Seat	Westminster
Nominator	The Prime Minister
Appointer	The Monarch (on the advice of the Prime Minister)
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 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. The person holding this role is a key member of the British Cabinet and the National Security Council.

This job was created in 1782, and its duties have changed a lot over time. Many famous people have been Home Secretary, including former prime ministers like Winston Churchill and Theresa May. The person who held the job for the longest time was Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, who served for over nine years. The shortest-serving Home Secretary was Grant Shapps, who was in the role 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. There is also a "shadow" Home Secretary from the opposition party, who checks the Home Secretary's work. Committees in Parliament also look closely at what the Home Secretary does.

Historically, this role has been seen as a challenging job because it often involves many difficult issues.

What the Home Secretary Does
A Brief History of the Role
Images for kids
See also

What the Home Secretary Does

The Home Secretary's job is similar to an "interior minister" in many other countries. Their main responsibilities include:

Looking after the other ministers in the Home Office.
Making sure laws are enforced in England and Wales, and helping with policing across the UK.
Dealing with national security and stopping terrorism.
Managing immigration and keeping the country's borders safe.
Overseeing 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. However, those responsibilities were moved to the Ministry of Justice that year.

A Brief History of the Role

The title "Secretary of State" has been used in the English government since the early 1600s. The job of Home Secretary was officially created in 1782. This happened when the government was reorganized, and the old "Northern" and "Southern" departments were split into the Foreign Office and the Home Office.

In 2007, some of the Home Office's duties related to criminal justice were moved to the new Ministry of Justice.