Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention

Last updated
United Kingdom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health, Start for Life and Primary Care
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government) (2022).svg
Official portrait of Andrew Gwynne MP crop 2.jpg
Incumbent
Andrew Gwynne
since 9 July 2024
Department of Health and Social Care
Style Minister
AppointerThe Monarch
on advice of the Prime Minister
FormationJune 1970
First holder Paul Dean

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health, Start for Life and Primary Care is a position in the Department of Health and Social Care in the Government of the United Kingdom. The role has previously been known as the Minister of State for Public Health.

Contents

History

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security worked at the Department of Health and Social Security. The future Prime Minister John Major held this office. The office was known as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health from 1987 to 1990.

Nicola Blackwood lost her seat in the snap 2017 general election and was replaced as a minister by Steve Brine.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, the minister was placed in charge of public health policy. [1] The office of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment was created later and was held by Nadhim Zahawi from 28 November 2020 to 15 September 2021. [2] Zahawi was briefly shadowed by Neale Hanvey of the Scottish National Party (SNP) but Hanvey had to resign following his support for a defamation case against a parliamentary colleague, Kirsty Blackman. [3] In February 2021, Zahawi announced schools in England would reopen on 8 March. [4]

In the 2021 British cabinet reshuffle, responsibilities for vaccines were merged with those for public health and given to Maggie Throup in the office of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Vaccines and Public Health. [5]

Responsibilities

The minister is responsible for the following: [6]

List of ministers of public health

NamePortraitTook officeLeft officePolitical partyPrime Minister
Role created out of the Department of Health and Social Security replacing the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security
Paul Dean
MP for North Somerset
24 June 19704 March 1974 Conservative Edward Heath

(l)

Michael Alison
MP for Barkston Ash
24 June 19704 March 1974 Conservative Edward Heath

(l)

David Owen
MP for Plymouth Devonport
Official portrait of Lord Owen crop 2.jpg 8 March 197426 July 1974 Labour Harold Wilson

(lll)

Robert Brown
MP for Newcastle upon Tyne West
8 March 197418 October 1974 Labour Harold Wilson

(lll)

Alec Jones
MP for Rhondda
18 October 197412 June 1975 Labour Harold Wilson

(lV)

Michael Meacher
MP for Oldham West
Michael Meacher MP.jpg 12 June 197514 April 1976 Labour Harold Wilson

(lV)

Eric Deakins
MP for Walthamstow
14 April 19764 May 1979 Labour James Callaghan

(l)

Reginald Wells-Pestell, Baron Wells-Pestell
Life peer
3 January 19794 May 1979 Labour James Callaghan

(l)

George Young
MP for Acton
Official portrait of Lord Young of Cookham, 2020.jpg 7 May 197915 September 1981 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(l)

Lynda Chalker
MP for Wallasey
Official portrait of Baroness Chalker of Wallasey crop 2.jpg 7 May 19795 March 1982 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(l)

Geoffrey Finsberg
MP for Hampstead
15 September 198114 June 1983 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(l)

Rodney Elton, 2nd Baron Elton
Hereditary Peer
Official portrait of Lord Elton 2020 crop 2.jpg 15 September 19816 April 1982 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(l)

Tony Newton
MP for Braintree
5 March 198211 September 1984 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(l) + (ll)

David Trefgarne, 2nd Baron Trefgarne
Hereditary Peer
Official portrait of Lord Trefgarne 2020 crop 2.jpg 6 April 198214 June 1983 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(l)

John Patten
MP for Oxford West and Abingdon
14 June 19832 September 1985 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(ll)

Simon Arthur, 4th Baron Glenarthur
Hereditary Peer
Official portrait of Lord Glenarthur crop 2.jpg 14 June 198326 March 1985 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(ll)

Ray Whitney
MP for Wycombe
11 September 198410 September 1986 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(ll)

Jean Barker, Baroness Trumpington
Life Peer
30 March 198513 June 1987 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(ll)

John Major
MP for Huntingdon
John Major 2014.jpg 2 September 198510 September 1986 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(ll)

Nicholas Lyell
MP for Mid Bedfordshire
10 September 198613 June 1987 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(ll)

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health
Edwina Currie
MP for South Derbyshire
Edwina Currie.jpg 10 September 198616 December 1988 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(ll) + (lll)

Roger Freeman
MP for Kettering
Official portrait of Lord Freeman crop 2, 2019.jpg 16 December 19884 May 1990 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(lll)

Gloria Hooper, Baroness Hooper
Life peer
Official portrait of Baroness Hooper crop 2.jpg 28 July 198914 April 1992 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(lll)

John Major (l)

Stephen Dorrell
MP for Loughborough
Stephen dorrell mp -nhs confederation annual conferencepercent2c manchester-11july2011 - crop.jpg 4 May 1990November 1990 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(lll)

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security
Tom Sackville
MP for Bolton West
Tom Sackville and Luigi Corvaglia (cropped).jpg 14 April 199229 November 1995 Conservative John Major

(ll)

Julia Cumberlege, Baroness Cumberlege
Life peer
14 April 19922 May 1997 Conservative John Major

(ll)

Tim Yeo
MP for South Suffolk
Tim Yeo MP (15216846249).jpg 15 April 199227 May 1993 Conservative John Major

(ll)

John Bowis
MP for Battersea
27 May 199323 July 1996 Conservative John Major

(ll)

John Horam
MP for Orpington
Official portrait of Lord Horam crop 2, 2019.jpg 29 November 19952 May 1997 Conservative John Major

(ll)

Simon Burns
MP for Chelmsford
Simon Burns Official.jpg 23 July 19962 May 1997 Conservative John Major

(ll)

Minister of State for Public Health
Tessa Jowell
MP for Dulwich and West Norwood
Tessa Jowell Cropped.jpg 2 May 199711 October 1999 Labour Tony Blair
(l)
Yvette Cooper
MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford
Official portrait of Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP crop 2.jpg 11 October 199928 May 2002 Labour Tony Blair
(l) + (ll)
David Lammy
MP for Tottenham
Official portrait of Rt Hon David Lammy MP crop 5.jpg 29 May 200213 June 2003 Labour Tony Blair
(ll)
Melanie Johnson
MP for Welwyn Hatfield
Melanie Johnson.JPG 13 June 200310 May 2005 Labour Tony Blair
(ll)
Caroline Flint
MP for Don Valley
Official portrait of Caroline Flint crop 2.jpg 10 May 200528 June 2007 Labour Tony Blair
(lll)
Dawn Primarolo
MP for Bristol South
Official portrait of Baroness Primarolo crop 2.jpg 29 June 20075 June 2009 Labour Gordon Brown
(l)
Gillian Merron
MP for Lincoln
Official portrait of Baroness Merron crop 2, 2021.jpg 10 June 200911 May 2010 Labour Gordon Brown
(l)
Anne Milton
MP for Guildford
Official portrait of Anne Milton crop 2.jpg 11 May 20104 September 2012 Conservative David Cameron
(Coalition)
Anna Soubry
MP for Broxtowe
Official portrait of Anna Soubry crop 2.jpg 4 September 20127 October 2013 Conservative David Cameron
(Coalition)
Jane Ellison
MP for Battersea
Jane Ellison MP.jpg 7 October 201315 July 2016 Conservative David Cameron
(Coalition) + (II)
Nicola Blackwood
MP for Oxford West and Abingdon
Nicola Blackwood.png 14 July 20169 June 2017 Conservative Theresa May
(I)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Primary Care
Steve Brine

MP for Winchester

Official portrait of Steve Brine crop 2.jpg 14 June 201725 March 2019 Conservative Theresa May
(II)
Seema Kennedy
MP for South Ribble
Seema Kennedy MP.jpg 4 April 201926 July 2019 Conservative Theresa May
(II)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prevention, Public Health and Primary Care
Jo Churchill
MP for Bury St Edmunds
Official portrait of Jo Churchill MP crop 2.jpg 26 July 201915 September 2021 Conservative Boris Johnson
(I) + (II)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Vaccines and Public Health
Maggie Throup
MP for Erewash
Official portrait of Maggie Throup MP crop 2.jpg 15 September 20216 September 2022 Conservative Boris Johnson
(II)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Primary Care and Public Health
Neil O'Brien
MP for Harborough
Official portrait of Neil O'Brien MP crop 2.jpg 8 September 202213 November 2023 Conservative Liz Truss
(I)

Rishi Sunak
(I)

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health, Start for Life and Primary Care
Dame Andrea Leadsom
MP for South Northamptonshire
Official portrait of Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP crop 2.jpg 13 November 20235 July 2024 Conservative Rishi Sunak
(I)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention
Andrew Gwynne
MP for Gorton and Denton
Official portrait of Andrew Gwynne MP crop 2.jpg 9 July 2024Present Labour Keir Starmer
(Starmer ministry)

Other ministerial appointments

COVID-19 vaccine deployment

NamePortraitTook officeLeft officePolitical partyPrime Minister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment
Nadhim Zahawi
MP for Stratford-on-Avon
Official portrait of Nadhim Zahawi MP crop 2.jpg 28 November 202015 September 2021 Conservative Boris Johnson

(ll)

Patient safety and primary care

NamePortraitTook officeLeft officePolitical partyPrime Minister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety and Primary Care
Maria Caulfield
MP for Lewes
Official portrait of Maria Caulfield crop 2.jpg 17 September 20217 July 2022 Conservative Boris Johnson

(ll)

James Morris
MP for Halesowen and Rowley Regis
Official portrait of James Morris MP crop 2.jpg 8 July 20228 September 2022 Conservative Boris Johnson

(ll)

See also

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References

  1. "Government thanks GPs for 'unprecedented' COVID-19 response as lockdown begins | GPonline". www.gponline.com. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  2. "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment) - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  3. Marlborough, Conor (6 February 2021). "Neale Hanvey MP: SNP Westminster vaccine spokesman sacked days after promotion". The Scotsman. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  4. "Schools will reopen on March 8, vaccines minister confirms - The Global Herald". 4 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  5. "Maggie Throup MP". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  6. "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Prevention, Public Health and Primary Care) - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2020-10-23.