Home Secretary
Responsibilities
Corresponding to what is generally known as an interior minister in many other countries, the home secretary's remit includes:- Oversight of Home Office ministers
- Law enforcement in England and Wales and UK wide elements of policing, that are not devolved.
- Matters of national security and counter-terrorism
- Matters of immigration and border security
- Oversight of the Security Service (MI5).
From the birth of King Edward VIII in 1894 until the birth of Princess Alexandra in 1936, the home secretary would be present at all royal births to verify that the baby and potential heir to the throne was a descendent of the monarch, and not an imposter. Prior to this, a wider range of privy counsellors would attend. The practice was abolished by King George VI shortly before the birth of King Charles III.
History
The title Secretary of State in the government of England dates back to the early 17th century. The position of Secretary of State for the Home Department was created in the British governmental reorganisation of 1782, in which the responsibilities of the Northern and Southern Departments were reformed into the Foreign Office and Home Office.In 2007, the new Ministry of Justice took on the criminal justice functions of the Home Office and its agencies.