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Back to MinistersJacqui Smith - Home Secretary
Jacqui Smith is Home Secretary; the head of the Home Office.
Responsibilities
The Home Secretary has overall responsibility for the work of the Home Office:
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crime reduction
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security
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counter-terrorism
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immigration
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civil emergencies
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expenditure issues
She is also the ministerial adviser on parliamentary affairs.
Biography
Jacqui Smith entered parliament as MP for Redditch, Inkberrow, Feckenham and Cookhill in 1997.
Jacqui grew up in Malvern, Worcestershire before moving to Redditch in 1986. She still lives in Redditch with husband, Richard and sons James and Michael.
A graduate of Hertford College, Oxford, Jacqui took up teaching in 1986 at Arrow Vale High School in Redditch. She taught Business Studies and Economics and became head of economics at Haybridge High School in Hagley before the general election in 1997.
Since becoming an MP Jacqui has served on the treasury select committee and was promoted to government in 1999. As one of the youngest ministers, she served for two years as parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Education.
After successfully defending her seat in 2001 she was promoted to minister of state for health with responsibility for social services. Since then she has been promoted again to be minister of state at the Department for Trade and Industry, and deputy minister for women.
After the 2005 general election she became minister of state for schools. In May 2006 she joined the cabinet as chief whip.
She became the first female Home Secretary in June 2007.
