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Ministers

Question for Cabinet Office

UIN HL10457, tabled on 2 October 2023

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 21 September (HL9981), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, what has been the average tenure of office notwithstanding machinery of government changes, during the past 10 years, of (1) the Prime Minister, (2) the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and (3) the Secretary of State for (a) Foreign Affairs, (b) Home Affairs, (c) Education, (d) Health, (e) Defence, (f) Transport, (g) Culture, Media and Sport, (h) Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (i) Work and Pensions, (j) Northern Ireland, (k) Scotland, and (l) Wales.

Answered on

16 October 2023

The Cabinet Office does not collate this data centrally. Notwithstanding, to assist the noble Lord’s scrutiny, a list has been compiled from public information. The 10 year period used is 4 October 2013 - 4 October 2023.

Where Ministers were in post on 4 October 2013, our calculations have used the start of their tenure, which may precede that date.

Minister

Average Tenure from 4/10/2013-4/10/2023 (Rounded to the nearest day)

Prime Minister

979

Chancellor of the Exchequer

699

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

699

Secretary of State for Home Affairs

699

Secretary of State for Education

489

Secretary of State for Health

674

Secretary of State for Defence

729

Secretary of State for Transport

809

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

368

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

506

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

543

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

578

Secretary of State for Scotland

1219

Secretary of State for Wales

674

Answered by

Cabinet Office