The Defence and Overseas Secretariat
Head of the Defence and Overseas Secretariat and Foreign Policy and Defence Adviser to the Prime Minister
Sir Nigel Sheinwald KCMG
Deputy
Margaret Aldred
What are our key responsibilities?
The Defence and Overseas Secretariat supports the Prime Minister and Government by:
- ensuring delivery of Whitehall-wide foreign, security and defence, development and counter-terrorism policy;
- maintaining the readiness of the central crisis management facility and putting in place effective crisis management arrangements.
How do we support the Government on delivering its foreign and defence policy agenda?
- We drive much of our co-ordination and cross-Whitehall policy development work by chairing ad hoc groups of officials from Government Departments with a key interest.
- Through the management of Cabinet Committees on foreign, security and defence and counter-terrorism policy we ensure that collective Ministerial consideration of decisions takes place at the appropriate moment in the policy making process.
Who are our key client Departments?
- Number 10;
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO);
- Department for International Development (DFID);
- Ministry of Defence (MOD)
- HM Treasury;
- Home Office;
- Department for Trade and Industry (DTI).
Further information:
