Ministerial responsibilities
Chancellor of the Exchequer: Rt Hon Gordon Brown, MP (biography and photograph)
The Chancellor has overall responsibility for the work of the Treasury.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury: Rt Hon Paul Boateng, MP (biography and photograph)
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Responsibility for public expenditure, including planning, control, pay, efficiency, capital investment and targets (including local authorities and public corporations);
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Public/Private Partnerships including Private Finance Initiative, and Partnerships UK;
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Ministerial responsibility for the Office of Government Commerce and procurement policy;
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Treasury interest in Devolution; and
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Strategic oversight of banking, financial services and insurance.
Paymaster General: Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo, MP (biography and photograph)
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Strategic oversight of the UK tax system as a whole including direct, indirect and corporate taxation, capital gains tax, inheritance tax and VAT;
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Departmental Minister for HM Revenue and Customs, including the HM Revenue and Customs Bill;
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Overall responsibility for the Finance Bill;
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European and international tax issues;
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Tax credits;
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Treasury interest in childcare issues; and
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Welfare reform group (welfare fraud).
Financial Secretary: Stephen Timms, MP (biography and photograph)
- Banking, financial services and insurance, and the Financial Services Authority, including financial services tax issues (such as ISAs, taxation of savings, stamp duty, insurance premium tax and pensions);
- Personal savings policy;
- Foreign exchange reserves and debt management policy;
- Support to the Chancellor on EU and wider international finance issues
- EMU preparations;
- Corporate Social Responsibility;
- Ministerial responsibility for National Savings, the Debt Management Office, Office for National Statistics, Royal Mint and the Government Actuary’s Department, and Departmental Minister for HM Treasury;
- Support to the Chief Secretary on public spending issues and selected Cabinet Committees; and
- Support to the Paymaster General on the Finance Bill.
Economic Secretary: John Healey, MP (biography and photograph)
- Enterprise and productivity including small business taxation and support to the Chancellor on economic reform;
- Competition and better regulation;
- Science policy, including implementation of the 10 year science strategy and the R&D tax credit;
- Regional economic policy;
- Urban regeneration and social exclusion including housing and planning;
- Environmental issues including transport taxation and lorry-road user-charge;
- The voluntary sector and charities, including taxation;
- Excise duties and gambling;
- Support to the Chief Secretary on public spending issues and selected Cabinet Committees; and
- Support to the Paymaster General on the Finance Bill.