Minister of State for Social Care (UK)

Junior minister in the British Government From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Minister of State for Care is a mid-level position in the Department of Health and Social Care in the British government.[1] The minister often deputises for the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care alongside the Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care. The minister is in charge of social care in England.[1]

History

In the 1960s, the role was known as Minister of State for Social Services in the Department of Social Security.

The position was created in 2006, with Ivan Lewis being made Minister of State for Care Services.[2]

After the Conservative victory in the 2015 United Kingdom general election Alistair Burt returned to Government as Minister of State for Care and Support in the Department of Health. In July 2016, Burt announced that he would be resigning from his Ministerial position, "Twenty-four years and one month ago, I answered my first question as a junior minister in oral questions and I’ve just completed my last oral questions," Burt said. It was made clear that his resignation was not related to Brexit.[3]

The position was given to David Mowat and renamed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Care and Support. David Mowat lost his Warrington South seat in the snap 2017 general election.[4] He was not replaced until 2018 when Prime Minister Theresa May appointed Caroline Dinenage as the new Minister of Care.[5] Dinenage stayed in her role when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister and served in the First Johnson ministry and into the Second Johnson ministry.

As part of the 2020 British cabinet reshuffle, a number of junior ministers were moved around. Dinenage was made the new Minister of State for Digital and Culture.[6] Helen Whately was her replacement.[7][8] Helen Whatley has been in charge of government response to social care during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom,[9] particularly in reference to vaccination deployment.[10]

Responsibilities

The Minister of State for Social Care leads on the following:[1]

  • adult social care:
    • winter planning for adult social care
    • funding and markets (charging reform)
    • quality (system reform)
    • workforce
  • integration, including discharge
  • community health services
  • major diseases:
    • cancer
    • diabetes
    • strokes
  • rare diseases
  • screening
  • dementia
  • end-of-life care
  • COVID-19 vaccine licensing
  • long-term conditions

Minister of State for Social Care

More information Name, Portrait ...
Name Portrait Took office Left office Political party Prime Minister
Minister of State for Social Services
Stephen Swingler

MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme

1 November 1968 19 February 1969 Labour Harold Wilson
David Ennals

MP for Dover

1 November 1968 19 June 1970 Labour Harold Wilson
Baroness Serota 25 February 1969 19 June 1970 Labour Harold Wilson
Minister of State for Care Services
Ivan Lewis

MP for Bury South

15 May 2006 3 October 2008 Labour Tony Blair (2006–2007)
Gordon Brown (2007–2008)
Phil Hope

MP for Corby

5 October 2008 11 May 2010 Labour Gordon Brown
Paul Burstow

MP for Sutton and Cheam

11 May 2010 4 September 2012 Liberal Democrat David Cameron
Minister of State for Care and Support
Norman Lamb

MP for North Norfolk

4 September 2012 8 May 2015 Liberal Democrat David Cameron
Minister of State for Community and Social Care
Alistair Burt

MP for North East Bedfordshire

11 May 2015 15 July 2016 Conservative David Cameron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Care and Support
David Mowat

MP for Warrington South

14 July 2016 9 June 2017 Conservative Theresa May
Minister of State for Social Care
Caroline Dinenage

MP for Gosport

9 January 2018 13 February 2020 Conservative Theresa May (2018–2019)
Boris Johnson (2019–2020)
Helen Whately

MP for Faversham and Mid Kent

13 February 2020 16 September 2021 Conservative Boris Johnson
Minister of State for Care and Mental Health
Gillian Keegan

MP for Chichester

16 September 2021 8 September 2022 Conservative Boris Johnson
Minister of State for Health
Robert Jenrick

MP for Newark

7 September 2022 25 October 2022 Conservative Liz Truss
Minister of State for Social Care
Helen Whately

MP for Faversham and Mid Kent

26 October 2022 5 July 2024 Conservative Rishi Sunak
Minister of State for Care
Stephen Kinnock

MP for Aberafan Maesteg

8 July 2024 Incumbent Labour Keir Starmer
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References

See also

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