Minister

In the UK government, a minister is a Member of Parliament (MP) or a member of the House of Lords who holds a position in the government, usually responsible for a particular department or area of policy.

There are several levels of minister:

• Prime Minister. The head of government, leading overall policy and decision-making.
• Secretaries of State. Senior ministers who head government departments.
• Ministers of State. More senior junior ministers, usually overseeing a major part of a department’s work.
• Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State. Often just called junior ministers, with responsibility for narrower areas.

Ministers relevant to the construction industry include:

• Construction Minister. There is no official title of construction minister within the UK government, however, there is generally a minister whose role includes construction (and generally infrastructure). As part of their role, they generally serve as co-chair of the Construction Leadership Council.
• Housing Secretary. Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government is sometimes referred to as the ‘Housing Secretary’.
• Minister of State for Housing. The Housing Secretary is supported by a Minister of State for Housing, sometimes referred to as the Housing and Planning Minister.
• Building Safety Minister. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy).

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Building safety minister.
• Chief construction adviser.
• Chief planner.
• Construction minister.
• Construction Leadership Council.
• Government departments responsibility for construction.
• Housing minister.
• UK construction industry.