Private secretary

A private secretary is a civil servant in a governmental department or ministry, responsible to a secretary of state or minister; or a public servant in a royal household, responsible to a member of the royal family; or a civil servant working for a senior member of the judiciary.

The role exists in the civil service of the United Kingdom and several Commonwealth countries including Australia, India and New Zealand as well as other countries influenced by the Westminster system. A private secretary is normally of middle management level; however, as the key official responsible for disseminating ministers' decisions and guidance on matters of policy, and as their gatekeeper, the role is of considerably greater significance than their grade would suggest. Depending on the status of the political principal the official works for, they may be aided by an assistant private secretary, or head a private office.

A principal private secretary, or senior private secretary, is a senior civil servant who runs a cabinet minister's private office. The Lady or Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is also supported by a principal private secretary. A similar role to a principal private secretary in the United States federal government would be chief of staff.

In the United Kingdom, the private secretary to the sovereign is viewed as being equivalent to a permanent secretary, the head of a government department.

The role of the private secretary to a secretary of state originated in the 18th century. Today, a junior minister may have a three-person private office consisting of a private secretary (PS) and two assistant private secretaries (APS); whereas a more senior minister may have a five-person private office consisting of a senior private secretary, private secretary and three assistant private secretaries. The same applies to a Cabinet-level minister's private office but on a larger scale, due to a cabinet minister usually being responsible for entire government departments and agencies.

Private secretaries who are members of the Senior Civil Service are referred to as a principal private secretary. The order of precedence is principal private secretary, senior private secretary (rarely now in existence), private secretary and assistant private secretary. A similar role to a principal private secretary in the United States federal government would be chief of staff.

The private secretary is the principal link between a government minister and officials in the department or ministry. He or she has overall responsibility for coordinating the development of the minister's policy remit, ensuring that the decisions of the minister are clearly and fully implemented by the department. In that respect a PS and an APS will often be in a position of debate with colleagues of much higher seniority, as well as be a sounding board for senior officials in the department and other ministerial private offices in Whitehall.

A PS or an APS is always in attendance with the minister at every official meeting or event to provide support; and to ensure that a member of the Civil Service, who are non-political appointees, takes a factual note of discussions and commitments made. They also have ownership of the ministerial diary, managing the minister's time with the diary secretary. This means prioritising invitations, commitments, policy briefings and submissions and parliamentary business. A PS is always the initial source of advice to Ministers on policy, parliamentary protocol, the process of cabinet government and departmental administration.