Private Secretary

Private Secretary

In the United Kingdom government, a Private Secretary is a senior civil servant in a Department or Ministry, responsible directly to the Secretary of State or Minister. The senior civil servant in charge of administering the department is usually entitled the Permanent Secretary, and may also have a Private Secretary.

A Private Secretary can be assisted by one or more Assistant - and or Deputy Secretaries, or even head a whole office in which those may be section chiefs.

Depending upon the seniority of their political principal, a Private Secretary may him or herself be regarded as an important official in their own right: the Queen's Private Secretary and the Downing Street's Private Secretary to the Prime Minister are the most important.

A Parliamentary Private Secretary "PPS" is a Member of Parliament appointed to act as unpaid assistant to a Minister. The PPS allows the Prime Minister, or minister, to reward party colleagues without cost, and test potential future ministers, and strengthens the Whip system as a PPS is expected to support the government's policies and vote for them in the parliament, regardless of their personal opinions.

ee also

*British Civil Service


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