Cabinet Secretary
Encyclopedia
A Cabinet Secretary is almost always a senior official (almost always a civil servant) who provides services and advice to a Cabinet of Ministers. In many countries, the position can have considerably wider functions and powers, including general responsibility for the entire civil service. Most countries with Cabinet Secretaries take the British
position as a model.
The title of Cabinet Secretary may also be used as an alternative term for a cabinet minister
, usually a political appointee, as in Japan
, Scotland
and the United States
.
, the equivalent position is the Secretary
of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
, although both the Department and its secretary have wider responsibilities than in most other governments derived from the Westminster System
. Furthermore, there is also a ministerial position entitled Cabinet Secretary with a portfolio for the preparation and management of cabinet business, although the duties are somewhat different from the British position.
Article 18.1 of the Law on Government states that "The Cabinet Office is the working office of the Government”,"Cabinet Office shall be headed by a Cabinet member,” and "Chief of the Cabinet Office shall report to the Prime Minister”. Furthermore, Article 33 of the Law specified functions of the Cabinet Office, including: (1) development and implementation of Government decisions, (2) coordination of central and local government authorities, (3) government human resource management, (4) and management of common services.
Cabinet Office is supporting body for leadership functions of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet
According to Parliament Resolution No. 38, 1996, the Cabinet Office is a body that supports leadership functions of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. It provides supports to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet in exercising their overall functions of nationwide leadership and strategic management guidance, by:
• Setting policy priorities,
• Coordinating policy implementation,
• Reporting,
• Managing human resources,
• Executing operational management of the Government.
In supporting leadership functions of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, the Cabinet Office is also responsible for:
• Coordination and management of public administration organizations,
• Initiate innovation and disseminate it,
• Supports to all public administration organizations through its continuous and highly professional operations.
Official web site: http://www.cabinet.gov.mn/english
, the equivalent position is the Clerk of the Privy Council
, who functions as Deputy Minister
to the Prime Minister of Canada
and heads the Privy Council Office
. Canada's provinces and territories also have equivalent officials as the head of their respective public services, as in the list below:
, there is a politically appointed Director of the Chief Executive's Office, as well as a Permanent Secretary who is a civil servant.
The position of Director was first established in 2002 as part of the 'Principal Officials Accountability System
', and it was not clear whether it was a politically appointed or a civil service position. Nevertheless, its salary level was tied to that of permanent secretaries (Point 8 of the Directorate Payscale) instead of that of politically appointed secretaries. The first office holder Lam Woon Kwong was a civil servant who opted for early retirement directly from this position in January 2005; and therefore did not subsequently take up any civil service or politically appointed position. Lam was not the most senior Administrative Officer and the position did not provide him any seniority over other permanent secretaries.
It was until January 2006, that the appointment of John Tsang to the position confirmed the position as a politically appointed office. Prior to his appointment, John Tsang was a politically appointed secretary, as the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology
. In July 2007, as part of the expansion of the political appointment system to introduce two layers of politically appointed junior secretaries, the salary level of the position was changed to tie with that of politically appointed secretaries. The office holder is also officially given the duty to co-ordinate the works of different bureaus (as Hong Kong ministries are known since 1997), making the office holder politically more powerful, regardless of his or her seniority.
The position of Permanent Secretary was first created as a non-permanent position supernumerary post from August 2005 to January 2006, while the position of the Director was left vacant. The salary level was set as the same as other Permanent Secretaries, i.e. Point 8 of the Directorate Pay Scale, aka the D8 rank. From February 2006 onwards, the post became permanent by the salary level was changed to D6, which is lower than Permanent Secretaries in the then 11 bureaux. The office is never filled by the most senior administrative officer as in other countries.
Unlike other countries, the Clerk of the Executive Council is a separate position, filled by an administrative officer of the D2 rank. The office holder nevertheless is required to take an oath of secrecy.
.
As a matter of convention the senior most civil servant is appointed as a Cabinet Secretary. He or she belongs to the Indian Administrative Service. The incumbent generally has a tenure of 2 to 3 years. Though there is no fixed tenure, the average tenure of the Cabinet Secretary in India has been less than 3 years. His or her tenure however, can be extended.
The Cabinet Secretary is the head of all the civil services under the constitution which is the All India Civil Services and the Central Civil Services (Grade A and Grade B). His status in the Indian order of precedence
is equivalent to that of the Attorney General of India and Lt. Governors within their territories and just above chiefs of staff or equivalent in the armed services holding the rank of full general.
The functions of the Cabinet Secretary in India are:
The Cabinet Secretariat is responsible for the administration of the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961 and the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules 1961, facilitating smooth transaction of business in Ministries/Departments of the Government by ensuring adherence to these rules. The Secretariat assists in decision-making in Government by ensuring Inter-Ministerial coordination, ironing out differences amongst Ministries/Departments and evolving consensus through the instrumentality of the standing/adhoc Committees of Secretaries. Through this mechanism new policy initiatives are also promoted.
The Cabinet Secretariat ensures that the President of India
, the Vice-President
and Ministers are kept informed of the major activities of all Departments by means of a monthly summary of their activities. Management of major crisis situations in the country and coordinating activities of the various Ministries in such a situation is also one of the functions of the Cabinet Secretariat.
The Cabinet Secretary is arguably India's most powerful bureaucrat.
, the position of Cabinet Secretary is officially titled Secretary-General to the Government (previously titled Secretary to the Government), and is concurrently Secretary-General
of the Department of the Taoiseach
, somewhat analogous to the Cabinet Office
in the United Kingdom
. This department provides the secretariat to the Cabinet
and co-ordinates the Government Press Office. It also has some policy functions with regard to key areas such as Northern Ireland
, economic policy, and public service modernisation. The role is modeled on, and is broadly similar to, the UK equivalent, though in recent times has become more constrained by the seven year time limit placed on Secretaries General in the mid-1990s following the introduction of the Strategic Management Initiative.
and for conducting certain press briefings. The Secretary is appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister
, with the current Secretary being Zvi Hauzer.
. This is unusual, as most countries give the position to a civil servant. The Chief Cabinet Secretary performs much the same role as other Cabinet Secretaries, however — he or she is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of Cabinet, and presiding over the Cabinet Secretariat. The post has the added function of being the government's chief press secretary
.
, which provides assistance, coordination, and advice. The Cabinet Secretary also serves as Clerk of the Executive Council
, the formal body on which Cabinet rests. The office of Cabinet Secretary is somewhat anomalous, by New Zealand standards, in that it is partly autonomous from the department to which it belongs. The role does not, however, have the broad powers given to its British equivalent — for example, authority over the civil service is held by the State Services Commissioner, a separate official.
. The post is held by a civil servant and it is equal to a Permanent Secretary
.
, the government department that provides administrative support to the Prime Minister
, the Cabinet
, and the government as a whole. The Prime Minister
appoints the Cabinet Secretary with the advice of the retiring Cabinet Secretary and the First Civil Service Commissioner
.
Since 1981 the position of Cabinet Secretary has been combined with the Head of the Home Civil Service, and in this role is responsible for all the civil servants of the various departments within government. In this role the Cabinet Secretary chairs the Permanent Secretaries Management Group (PSMG) which is the principal governing body of the civil service.
The responsibilities of the job vary from time to time and depend very much on the personal qualities of both the Prime Minister
and Cabinet Secretary of the day. In most cases the true influence of the Cabinet Secretary extends far beyond administrative matters, and reaches to the very heart of the decision making process. For instance, the Cabinet Secretary is responsible for administering the Ministerial Code which governs the conduct of ministers (also known as the Rule Book and formerly Questions of Procedure for Ministers). In this duty the Cabinet Secretary may be asked to investigate "leaks" within government, and enforce Cabinet discipline. Unusually in a democracy, this gives the unelected Cabinet Secretary some authority over elected ministers (a situation satirised in the BBC
sitcom Yes, Prime Minister), although the constitutional authority of the Code is somewhat ambiguous.
The Cabinet Secretary also has some responsibility for overseeing the intelligence services and their relationship to the government. In Tony Blair
's government, this responsibility was delegated to a Security and Intelligence Co-ordinator and Permanent Secretary, Sir David Omand
, while the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O'Donnell
, was asked to prioritize civil service reforms, including the expansion of e-government.
It was announced on 11 October 2011 that, following Sir Gus' retirement at the end of 2011, the roles currently performed by the Cabinet Secretary will be divided amongst three positions, the Cabinet Secretary will provide policy advice to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, while the Head of the Home Civil Service will provide leadership for the whole Civil Service and a new Permanent Secretary will oversee the Cabinet Office.
, the new First Minister Alex Salmond restyled the Scottish Executive
for his Scottish National Party
(SNP) administration: The term Scottish Government replaced the official legal term Scottish Executive
in its own use, while members of the cabinet were retitled Cabinet Secretaries rather than Ministers, with sub-cabinet members being restyled Ministers rather than Deputy-Ministers.
and the White House
. The position is not a civil service position, instead being subject to presidential appointment. The current Cabinet Secretary is Chris Lu
.
However, the term "Cabinet Secretary" is also sometimes used in a generic sense to refer to one of the members of the United States Cabinet
, as these people are titled Secretary (e.g., Secretary of State
or Secretary of Defense
). This usage is not official, and differs from the use in other countries.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
position as a model.
The title of Cabinet Secretary may also be used as an alternative term for a cabinet minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
, usually a political appointee, as in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Australia
In AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the equivalent position is the Secretary
Departmental Secretary
A departmental secretary is the head of an Australian Commonwealth or state government department especially in Victoria...
of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia)
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is an Australian Government department. The Department was first established in 1911...
, although both the Department and its secretary have wider responsibilities than in most other governments derived from the Westminster System
Westminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
. Furthermore, there is also a ministerial position entitled Cabinet Secretary with a portfolio for the preparation and management of cabinet business, although the duties are somewhat different from the British position.
Mongolia
Cabinet Office is working office of the Government of MongoliaArticle 18.1 of the Law on Government states that "The Cabinet Office is the working office of the Government”,"Cabinet Office shall be headed by a Cabinet member,” and "Chief of the Cabinet Office shall report to the Prime Minister”. Furthermore, Article 33 of the Law specified functions of the Cabinet Office, including: (1) development and implementation of Government decisions, (2) coordination of central and local government authorities, (3) government human resource management, (4) and management of common services.
Cabinet Office is supporting body for leadership functions of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet
According to Parliament Resolution No. 38, 1996, the Cabinet Office is a body that supports leadership functions of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. It provides supports to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet in exercising their overall functions of nationwide leadership and strategic management guidance, by:
• Setting policy priorities,
• Coordinating policy implementation,
• Reporting,
• Managing human resources,
• Executing operational management of the Government.
In supporting leadership functions of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, the Cabinet Office is also responsible for:
• Coordination and management of public administration organizations,
• Initiate innovation and disseminate it,
• Supports to all public administration organizations through its continuous and highly professional operations.
Official web site: http://www.cabinet.gov.mn/english
Canada
In CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the equivalent position is the Clerk of the Privy Council
Clerk of the Privy Council (Canada)
The Clerk of the Privy Council is the senior civil servant in the Canadian government. The Title and Office is in fact "Clerk of the Privy Council and the Secretary to the Cabinet"...
, who functions as Deputy Minister
Deputy Minister (Canada)
In Canada, a deputy minister is the senior civil servant in a government department. He or she takes political direction from an elected minister. Responsibility for the department's day-to-day operations, budget and program development lie with the deputy minister...
to the Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
and heads the Privy Council Office
Privy Council Office (Canada)
In Canada the Privy Council Office is the secretariat of the federal cabinet, providing officially non-partisan advice and support to the Prime Minister and leadership, coordination, and support to the departments and agencies of the government...
. Canada's provinces and territories also have equivalent officials as the head of their respective public services, as in the list below:
- OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
: Secretary of the Cabinet and Clerk of the Executive Council - QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
: Secrétaire général du Conseil exécutif (Secretary General of the Executive Council) - Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
: the head of the civil service is the Clerk of the Executive Council, while the Secretary to the Cabinet is a separate position. - New BrunswickNew BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
: Clerk of the Executive Council and Secretary to Cabinet - Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
: the head of the civil service is the Clerk of the Executive Council, while the Premier's Principal Secretary advises the Premier and Cabinet on matters of policy and strategy - Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
: Clerk of the Executive Council and Secretary to the Cabinet - ManitobaManitobaManitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
: Clerk of the Executive Council - SaskatchewanSaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
: Deputy Minister to the Premier and Cabinet Secretary - AlbertaAlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
: Deputy Minister of Executive Council and Secretary to the Cabinet - British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
: Deputy Minister to the Premier and Cabinet Secretary - YukonYukonYukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
: Cabinet Secretary and Deputy Minister of the Executive Council Office - Northwest TerritoriesNorthwest TerritoriesThe Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
: Secretary to the Cabinet - NunavutNunavutNunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
: Secretary to Cabinet
Hong Kong
In Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, there is a politically appointed Director of the Chief Executive's Office, as well as a Permanent Secretary who is a civil servant.
The position of Director was first established in 2002 as part of the 'Principal Officials Accountability System
Principal Officials Accountability System
Principal Officials Accountability System , commonly referred to as the Ministerial system, sometimes the Accountability system, was introduced in Hong Kong by Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa in July 2002...
', and it was not clear whether it was a politically appointed or a civil service position. Nevertheless, its salary level was tied to that of permanent secretaries (Point 8 of the Directorate Payscale) instead of that of politically appointed secretaries. The first office holder Lam Woon Kwong was a civil servant who opted for early retirement directly from this position in January 2005; and therefore did not subsequently take up any civil service or politically appointed position. Lam was not the most senior Administrative Officer and the position did not provide him any seniority over other permanent secretaries.
It was until January 2006, that the appointment of John Tsang to the position confirmed the position as a politically appointed office. Prior to his appointment, John Tsang was a politically appointed secretary, as the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology
Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology
The Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology of the Hong Kong Government was responsible for promoting the manufacturing, trade, commerce and technology sectors in Hong Kong and foster relations with players in these sectors...
. In July 2007, as part of the expansion of the political appointment system to introduce two layers of politically appointed junior secretaries, the salary level of the position was changed to tie with that of politically appointed secretaries. The office holder is also officially given the duty to co-ordinate the works of different bureaus (as Hong Kong ministries are known since 1997), making the office holder politically more powerful, regardless of his or her seniority.
The position of Permanent Secretary was first created as a non-permanent position supernumerary post from August 2005 to January 2006, while the position of the Director was left vacant. The salary level was set as the same as other Permanent Secretaries, i.e. Point 8 of the Directorate Pay Scale, aka the D8 rank. From February 2006 onwards, the post became permanent by the salary level was changed to D6, which is lower than Permanent Secretaries in the then 11 bureaux. The office is never filled by the most senior administrative officer as in other countries.
Unlike other countries, the Clerk of the Executive Council is a separate position, filled by an administrative officer of the D2 rank. The office holder nevertheless is required to take an oath of secrecy.
India
The Cabinet Secretariat is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister. The administrative head of the Cabinet Secretariat is the Cabinet Secretary who is also the ex-officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board, and thus the head of the Indian Administrative ServiceIndian Administrative Service
The Indian Administrative Service is the administrative civil service of the Government of India. It is one of the three All India Services....
.
As a matter of convention the senior most civil servant is appointed as a Cabinet Secretary. He or she belongs to the Indian Administrative Service. The incumbent generally has a tenure of 2 to 3 years. Though there is no fixed tenure, the average tenure of the Cabinet Secretary in India has been less than 3 years. His or her tenure however, can be extended.
The Cabinet Secretary is the head of all the civil services under the constitution which is the All India Civil Services and the Central Civil Services (Grade A and Grade B). His status in the Indian order of precedence
Indian order of precedence
The Order of precedence of the Republic of India is the protocol list in which the functionaries and officials are listed according to their rank and office in the Government of India. The order is established by the President of the India, through the Office of the President of India and is...
is equivalent to that of the Attorney General of India and Lt. Governors within their territories and just above chiefs of staff or equivalent in the armed services holding the rank of full general.
The functions of the Cabinet Secretary in India are:
- Provide assistance to the Council of Ministers
- Act as advisor and conscience keeper of the civil services
- Handle senior appointments
- Prepare of the agenda of the Cabinet
- Attend the meetings of the Cabinet
- Ensure that the Cabinet decisions are implemented
- Advise the Prime Minister
- Act as the Chairman of the Committee of Secretaries on Administration
- Act as the Chairman of the Chief Secretaries Committee
- Provide an element of continuity and stability to administration during crises
The Cabinet Secretariat is responsible for the administration of the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961 and the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules 1961, facilitating smooth transaction of business in Ministries/Departments of the Government by ensuring adherence to these rules. The Secretariat assists in decision-making in Government by ensuring Inter-Ministerial coordination, ironing out differences amongst Ministries/Departments and evolving consensus through the instrumentality of the standing/adhoc Committees of Secretaries. Through this mechanism new policy initiatives are also promoted.
The Cabinet Secretariat ensures that the President of India
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
, the Vice-President
Vice-President of India
The Vice-President of India is the second-highest ranking government official in the executive branch of the Government of India, after the President...
and Ministers are kept informed of the major activities of all Departments by means of a monthly summary of their activities. Management of major crisis situations in the country and coordinating activities of the various Ministries in such a situation is also one of the functions of the Cabinet Secretariat.
The Cabinet Secretary is arguably India's most powerful bureaucrat.
Ireland
In the Republic of IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, the position of Cabinet Secretary is officially titled Secretary-General to the Government (previously titled Secretary to the Government), and is concurrently Secretary-General
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
of the Department of the Taoiseach
Department of the Taoiseach
The Department of the Taoiseach is the government department of the Taoiseach of Ireland. It is based in Government Buildings, the headquarters of the Government of Ireland, on Merrion Street in Dublin....
, somewhat analogous to the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. This department provides the secretariat to the Cabinet
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
and co-ordinates the Government Press Office. It also has some policy functions with regard to key areas such as Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, economic policy, and public service modernisation. The role is modeled on, and is broadly similar to, the UK equivalent, though in recent times has become more constrained by the seven year time limit placed on Secretaries General in the mid-1990s following the introduction of the Strategic Management Initiative.
Israel
In Israel, the Cabinet Secretary (also called the Government Secretary) heads an office responsible for preparing the agenda of cabinet meetings and facilitating communication between ministers. The Secretariat is also responsible for presenting government-initiated bills to the KnessetKnesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
and for conducting certain press briefings. The Secretary is appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
, with the current Secretary being Zvi Hauzer.
Japan
In Japan, the office of Chief Cabinet Secretary has been made into a ministerial post, being held by a member of the House of RepresentativesHouse of Representatives of Japan
The is the lower house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Councillors of Japan is the upper house.The House of Representatives has 480 members, elected for a four-year term. Of these, 180 members are elected from 11 multi-member constituencies by a party-list system of proportional representation,...
. This is unusual, as most countries give the position to a civil servant. The Chief Cabinet Secretary performs much the same role as other Cabinet Secretaries, however — he or she is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of Cabinet, and presiding over the Cabinet Secretariat. The post has the added function of being the government's chief press secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
.
New Zealand
In New Zealand, the Cabinet Secretary is part of the Department of the Prime Minister and CabinetDepartment of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (New Zealand)
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet of New Zealand is the department charged with supporting the Prime Minister of New Zealand and their Cabinet...
, which provides assistance, coordination, and advice. The Cabinet Secretary also serves as Clerk of the Executive Council
Executive Council of New Zealand
The Executive Council of New Zealand is the body which legally serves the functions of the Cabinet. It has a function similar to that served by the Privy Council in the United Kingdom...
, the formal body on which Cabinet rests. The office of Cabinet Secretary is somewhat anomalous, by New Zealand standards, in that it is partly autonomous from the department to which it belongs. The role does not, however, have the broad powers given to its British equivalent — for example, authority over the civil service is held by the State Services Commissioner, a separate official.
Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, the Cabinet Secretary is the head of the Cabinet OfficeCabinet Office (Sri Lanka)
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of Sri Lanka responsible for supporting the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. The department was formed in 1947 when the first cabinet of the Dominion of Ceylon was formed, headed by The Rt Hon D.S. Senanayake, first Prime Minister of Ceylon. Currently it is...
. The post is held by a civil servant and it is equal to a Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
.
United Kingdom
In the UK Government, the Secretary of the Cabinet is the senior civil servant in charge of the Cabinet OfficeCabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
, the government department that provides administrative support to the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, the Cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
, and the government as a whole. The Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
appoints the Cabinet Secretary with the advice of the retiring Cabinet Secretary and the First Civil Service Commissioner
First Civil Service Commissioner
The First Civil Service Commissioner heads the Office of Civil Service Commissioners, which ensures that the Civil Service in the United Kingdom is effective and impartial and that appointments are made on merit, and hears appeals under the Civil Service Code....
.
Since 1981 the position of Cabinet Secretary has been combined with the Head of the Home Civil Service, and in this role is responsible for all the civil servants of the various departments within government. In this role the Cabinet Secretary chairs the Permanent Secretaries Management Group (PSMG) which is the principal governing body of the civil service.
The responsibilities of the job vary from time to time and depend very much on the personal qualities of both the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
and Cabinet Secretary of the day. In most cases the true influence of the Cabinet Secretary extends far beyond administrative matters, and reaches to the very heart of the decision making process. For instance, the Cabinet Secretary is responsible for administering the Ministerial Code which governs the conduct of ministers (also known as the Rule Book and formerly Questions of Procedure for Ministers). In this duty the Cabinet Secretary may be asked to investigate "leaks" within government, and enforce Cabinet discipline. Unusually in a democracy, this gives the unelected Cabinet Secretary some authority over elected ministers (a situation satirised in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom Yes, Prime Minister), although the constitutional authority of the Code is somewhat ambiguous.
The Cabinet Secretary also has some responsibility for overseeing the intelligence services and their relationship to the government. In Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
's government, this responsibility was delegated to a Security and Intelligence Co-ordinator and Permanent Secretary, Sir David Omand
David Omand
Sir David Bruce Omand GCB is a former senior British civil servant.-Career:Educated at Glasgow Academy and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, Omand started out with the Government Communications Headquarters. After years of service with the Ministry of Defence, from 1996 to 1997 he was Director of...
, while the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O'Donnell
Gus O'Donnell
Sir Augustine Thomas "Gus" O'Donnell GCB is a British civil servant, who is the current Cabinet Secretary, the highest rank in the British Civil Service. He is consequently, under current practice, Head of the Civil Service, which means he has authority over all civil servants except those who are...
, was asked to prioritize civil service reforms, including the expansion of e-government.
It was announced on 11 October 2011 that, following Sir Gus' retirement at the end of 2011, the roles currently performed by the Cabinet Secretary will be divided amongst three positions, the Cabinet Secretary will provide policy advice to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, while the Head of the Home Civil Service will provide leadership for the whole Civil Service and a new Permanent Secretary will oversee the Cabinet Office.
Scotland
Following the 2007 General Election of the devolved Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, the new First Minister Alex Salmond restyled the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
for his Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP) administration: The term Scottish Government replaced the official legal term Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
in its own use, while members of the cabinet were retitled Cabinet Secretaries rather than Ministers, with sub-cabinet members being restyled Ministers rather than Deputy-Ministers.
United States
In the United States, there is an official called the Cabinet Secretary within the Executive Office of the President charged with maintaining relations between members of the CabinetUnited States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
and the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. The position is not a civil service position, instead being subject to presidential appointment. The current Cabinet Secretary is Chris Lu
Chris Lu
Christopher P. Lu is Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary for United States President Barack Obama. Lu graduated from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and from Harvard Law School, where he was a classmate of Obama's. He served as a litigation attorney for the...
.
However, the term "Cabinet Secretary" is also sometimes used in a generic sense to refer to one of the members of the United States Cabinet
United States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
, as these people are titled Secretary (e.g., Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
or Secretary of Defense
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
). This usage is not official, and differs from the use in other countries.