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.

Responsibility for public expenditure including:
- spending reviews and strategic planning;
- in-year control;
- public sector pay and pensions;
- efficiency in public services;
- capital investment; and
- public service delivery and PSA targets.
Treasury interest in Devolution;
Responsibility for financial services including strategic oversight of banking, financial services and insurance working with the Economic Secretary; and
Assist the Chancellor where necessary on European issues.

Strategic oversight of the UK tax system as a whole including direct, indirect and corporate taxation, capital gains tax, inheritance tax and VAT;
Departmental Minister for HM Revenue and Customs;
Overall responsibility for the Finance Bill;
European and international tax issues and assit where necessary on European issues;
Tax credits;
Treasury interest in childcare issues;
Welfare reform group (welfare fraud); and
Support to the Chief Secretary on public spending issues and selected Cabinet Committees.

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;
Excise duties and gambling;
Public/Private Partnerships including Private Finance Initiative, and Partnerships UK;
Ministerial responsibility for the Office for National Statistics, the Royal Mint and Departmental Minister for HM Treasury;
Working with the Chief Secretary with responsibility for the Office of Government Commerce and procurement policy;
Support to the Chief Secretary on public spending issues and selected Cabinet Committees;
Assist where necessary on European issues; and
Working with the Paymaster General on the Finance Bill.

Working with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on financial services including: banking, insurance, and the Financial Services Authority and 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, with responsibility for National Savings & Investments, the Debt Management Office and the Government Actuary's Department;
Support to the Chancellor on EU and wider international finance issues;
EMU preparations;
The voluntary sector, charities, including taxation;
Corporate Social Responsibility;
Support to the Chief Secretary on public spending issues and selected Cabinet Committees; and
Working with the Paymaster General on the Finance Bill.