The exchequer secretary to the Treasury is a junior ministerial post in His Majesty's Treasury, ranked below the First Lord of the Treasury, the chancellor of the Exchequer, the chief secretary to the Treasury, the paymaster general and the financial secretary to the Treasury, and alongside the economic secretary to the Treasury. It ranks at parliamentary secretary level and the holder does not attend Cabinet. The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury is currently the Minister for Growth.
The first exchequer secretary was Phillip Oppenheim, who held the post from 23 July 1996 to 2 May 1997, when he lost his seat in the general election that brought Tony Blair to power.
Following a period of abeyance, the office was reinstated upon Gordon Brown's accession as prime minister in June 2007, when Angela Eagle was appointed exchequer secretary. The office again fell out of use in July 2016 when Theresa May became prime minister, before she reinstated it following the 2017 general election.
The position was held by Helen Whately, having been held by Kemi Badenoch from 2020 to 2021.
The minister is shadowed by the shadow exchequer secretary to the Treasury, who sits on the Official Opposition frontbench.
Responsibilities
Enterprise and productivity including small business taxation and support to the chancellor of the Exchequer on economic reform
Competition and better regulation
Science, innovation and skills policy, including implementation of the 10-year science and innovation strategy and the R&D tax credit
Regional economic policy
Urban regeneration and social exclusion including housing, planning and planning gain supplement;
Environmental issues including taxation of transport, international Climate Change issues including global carbon trading and EU ETS, and Energy Issues
Taxation of oil
Excise duties and gambling, including excise fraud and law enforcement
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 Group
Support to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on public spending issues including long-term challenges in the run up to the Comprehensive Spending Review and selected Cabinet Committees
Assist where necessary on European issues
Working with the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on the Finance Bill
Responsibility for procurement policy and the former Office of Government Commerce was transferred to the Cabinet Office in 2011.