Changes to the MOD's Ministerial Team

6 Aug 2019 12:28 PM

The new Prime Minister has announced several changes to the Ministry of Defence's ministerial team.

With the new Prime Minister now in place, the ministerial team in the Ministry of Defence has seen several key changes in personnel:

Secretary of State for Defence: The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP

Political Career

First entered politics as a Member of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Following a move to Lancashire, he was elected to parliament in 2005. His first job in government was as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Veteran Cabinet Minister the Rt. Hon Ken Clarke QC, as Justice Secretary. He has served as a whip, the Northern Ireland Minister and lastly the UK’s longest serving Security Minister. In 2008, he was awarded ‘Campaigner of the Year’ by The Spectator after leading calls for improved transparency and the reform of parliamentary expenses. He was elected the Conservative MP for Wyre and Preston North in May 2010, and formerly MP for Lancaster and Wyre in 2005. He was Minister of State for Security at the Home Office from 17 July 2016 to 24 July 2019, and was in position during the terror attacks of 2017 and the Russian State attack in Salisbury in 2018.

Role & Responsibilities

The Secretary of State for Defence has overall responsibility for the business of the department including:

• strategic operations and operational strategy, including membership of the National Security Council
• defence planning, programme and resource allocation
• strategic international partnerships: US, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, NATO
• nuclear operations, policy and organisations
• strategic communications

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Procurement: Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP​

Political Career

First elected as Member of Parliament for the Berwick-upon-Tweed constituency at the 2015 general election. Sat on the House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee from July 2015 to May 2017 and December 2018 to July 2019. She has previously served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Defence. As an MP, she has campaigned with colleagues for greater autism awareness and has focussed on the Armed Forces Covenant. Appointed as Minister for Defence Procurement on 27 July 2019.

Role & Responsibilities

The Minister for Defence Procurement is responsible for the Defence Equipment Plan, defence industry and exports, science and technology including:

• Equipment Plan delivery
• the nuclear enterprise
• Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) reform
• defence exports
• innovation
• science and technology including Dstl
• information computer technology
• the Gulf
• the Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO)
• Scotland and Wales

Minister for Defence People and Veterans: Johnny Mercer MP

Political Career

Having served as an Army Officer for more than 10 years, his role in partnership with the Cabinet Office is to provide better support for the UK's veterans. He will work alongside the new Minister for Veterans in the Cabinet Office, Oliver Dowden, to deliver world-class care for veterans from across the UK's Armed Forces. After leaving the Army, he became the Tory candidate for Plymouth Moor View and was elected to parliament in 2015. He was made Minister for Defence People and Veterans at the Ministry of Defence and the Cabinet Office on 28 July 2019.