secretary of State for Air

{{short description|Former cabinet-level position in British government}}

{{For|the RAF personnel management appointment|Air Secretary}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}

{{Infobox official post

| post = Secretary

| body = State for Air

| native_name =

| insignia = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg

| insigniasize =

| insigniacaption = Royal Arms as used by His Majesty's Government

| flag =

| flagsize =

| flagborder =

| flagcaption =

| image = The Air Ministry, 1939-1945. CH10270 – Edit 1.jpg

| imagesize =

| alt =

| imagecaption = Longest serving
Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
11 May 1940 – 23 May 1945

| department = Air Ministry

| style =

| type =

| status = Abolished
Formerly, Secretary of state

| abbreviation =

| member_of = British Cabinet
Privy Council

| reports_to =

| residence =

| seat = Westminster, London

| nominator =

| appointer = The British Monarch
{{small|on advice of the Prime Minister}}

| appointer_qualified =

| termlength = No fixed term

| termlength_qualified =

| constituting_instrument =

| precursor = President of the Air Council

| formation = 10 January 1919

| first = Winston Churchill

| last = Hugh Fraser

| abolished = 1 April 1964

| succession = Secretary of State for Defence

| unofficial_names =

| deputy =

| salary =

| website =

}}

File:Air Council in session WWII IWM CH 966.jpg

The Secretary of State for Air was a secretary of state position in the British government that existed from 1919 to 1964. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. The Secretary of State for Air was supported by the Under-Secretary of State for Air.

History

The position was created on 10 January 1919 to manage the Royal Air Force. In 1946, the three posts of Secretary of State for War, First Lord of the Admiralty, and Secretary of State for Air became formally subordinated to that of Minister of Defence, which had itself been created in 1940 for the co-ordination of defence and security issues. On 1 April 1964, the Air Ministry was incorporated into the newly created united Ministry of Defence, and the position of Secretary of State for Air was abolished.

{{Principal political leaders of the British Armed Forces}}

List of leaders

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|-

! colspan=99 |

=Chairman of the Joint War Air Committee, 1916=

|-

! colspan=3 rowspan=2| Chairman

! colspan=3| Term of office

! rowspan=2| Political party

|-

! Took office

! Left office

! Time in office

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| Edward Stanley
17th Earl of Derby

| {{Small|February}}
1916

| {{Small|February}}
1916{{Efn|name=resigned|Resigned.}}

| {{age in years, months and days|15 May 1916|3 January 1917}}

|-

! colspan=99 |

=Presidents of the Air Board, 1916–1917=

|-

! colspan=3 rowspan=2| President

! colspan=3| Term of office

! rowspan=2| Political party

|-

! Took office

! Left office

! Time in office

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| George Curzon
1st Earl Curzon of Kedleston

| {{Small|15 May}}
1916

| {{Small|3 January}}
1917

| {{age in years, months and days|3 January 1917|26 November 1917}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| Weetman Pearson
1st Viscount Cowdray

| {{Small|3 January}}
1917

| {{Small|26 November}}
1917

| {{age in years, months and days|3 January 1917|26 November 1917}}

|-

! colspan=99 |

=Presidents of the Air Council, 1917–1919=

|-

! colspan=3 rowspan=2| President

! colspan=3| Term of office

! rowspan=2| Political party

|-

! Took office

! Left office

! Time in office

|-

|

| Harold Harmsworth
1st Baron Rothermere

| {{Small|26 November}}
1917

| {{Small|26 April}}
1918

| {{age in years, months and days|26 November 1917|26 April 1918}}

|

|-

|

| William Weir
1st Baron Weir

| {{Small|26 April}}
1918

| {{Small|10 January}}
1919

| {{age in years, months and days|26 April 1918|10 January 1919}}

|

|-

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| J. E. B. Seely
{{Small|MP for Ilkeston}}

| {{Small|January}}
1919

| {{Small|November}}
1919{{Efn|name=resigned}}

| {{age in years, months and days|January 1919|November 1919}}

|-

! colspan=99 |

=Secretaries of State for Air, 1919–1964=

|-

! colspan=3 rowspan=2| Secretary

! colspan=3| Term of office

! rowspan=2| Political party

|-

! Took office

! Left office

! Time in office

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| Winston Churchill{{Efn|Also Secretary of State for War.}}
{{Small|MP for Dundee}}

| {{Small|10 January}}
1919

| {{Small|1 April}}
1921

| {{age in years, months and days|10 January 1919|1 April 1921}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| Frederick Edward Guest
{{Small|MP for East Dorset}}

| {{Small|1 April}}
1921

| {{Small|19 October}}
1922

| {{age in years, months and days|1 April 1921|19 October 1922}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| Sir Samuel Hoare
{{Small|MP for Chelsea}}

| {{Small|31 October}}
1922

| {{Small|22 January}}
1924

| {{age in years, months and days|31 October 1922|22 January 1924}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| Christopher Thomson
1st Baron Thomson

| {{Small|22 January}}
1924

| {{Small|3 November}}
1924

| {{age in years, months and days|22 January 1924|3 November 1924}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| Sir Samuel Hoare
{{Small|MP for Chelsea}}

| {{Small|6 November}}
1924

| {{Small|4 June}}
1929

| {{age in years, months and days|6 November 1924|4 June 1929}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| Christopher Thomson
1st Baron Thomson

| {{Small|7 June}}
1929

| {{Small|5 October}}
1930†

| {{age in years, months and days|7 June 1929|5 October 1930}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| William Mackenzie
1st Baron Amulree

| {{Small|14 October}}
1930

| {{Small|5 November}}
1931

| {{age in years, months and days|14 October 1930|5 November 1931}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart
7th Marquess of Londonderry

| {{Small|5 November}}
1931

| {{Small|7 June}}
1935

| {{age in years, months and days|5 November 1931|7 June 1935}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| Philip Cunliffe-Lister
1st Viscount Swinton

| {{Small|7 June}}
1935

| {{Small|16 May}}
1938

| {{age in years, months and days|7 June 1935|16 May 1938}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| Sir Kingsley Wood
{{Small|MP for Woolwich West}}

| {{Small|16 May}}
1938

| {{Small|3 April}}
1940

| {{age in years, months and days|16 May 1938|3 April 1940}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| Sir Samuel Hoare
{{Small|MP for Chelsea}}

| {{Small|3 April}}
1940

| {{Small|11 May}}
1940

| {{age in years, months and days|3 April 1940|11 May 1940}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| Sir Archibald Sinclair
{{Small|MP for Caithness and Sutherland}}

| {{Small|11 May}}
1940

| {{Small|23 May}}
1945

| {{age in years, months and days|11 May 1940|23 May 1945}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| Harold Macmillan
{{Small|MP for Stockton-on-Tees}}

| {{Small|25 May}}
1945

| {{Small|26 July}}
1945

| {{age in years, months and days|25 May 1945|26 July 1945}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| William Wedgwood Benn
1st Viscount Stansgate

| {{Small|3 August}}
1945

| {{Small|4 October}}
1946

| {{age in years, months and days|3 August 1945|4 October 1946}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| Philip Noel-Baker
{{Small|MP for Derby}}

| {{Small|4 October}}
1946

| {{Small|7 October}}
1947

| {{age in years, months and days|4 October 1946|7 October 1947}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

|

| Arthur Henderson
{{Small|MP for Kingswinford before 1950
MP for Rowley Regis and Tipton after 1950}}

| {{Small|7 October}}
1947

| {{Small|26 October}}
1951

| {{age in years, months and days|7 October 1947|26 October 1951}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| William Sidney
6th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley

| {{Small|31 October}}
1951

| {{Small|20 December}}
1955

| {{age in years, months and days|31 October 1951|20 December 1955}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

|

| Nigel Birch
{{Small|MP for West Flintshire}}

| {{Small|20 December}}
1955

| {{Small|16 January}}
1957

| {{age in years, months and days|20 December 1955|16 January 1957}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| George Ward
{{Small|MP for Worcester}}

| {{Small|16 January}}
1957

| {{Small|28 October}}
1960

| {{age in years, months and days|16 January 1957|28 October 1960}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| Julian Amery
{{Small|MP for Preston North}}

| {{Small|28 October}}
1960

| {{Small|16 July}}
1962

| {{age in years, months and days|28 October 1960|16 July 1962}}

|- style="height:1em"

| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| Hugh Fraser
{{Small|MP for Stafford and Stone}}

| {{Small|16 July}}
1962

| {{Small|1 April}}
1964

| {{age in years, months and days|16 July 1962|1 April 1964}}

|}

Notes

{{notelist}}

External links

[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/offices/secretary-of-state-for-air Hansard – Secretary of State for Air]

Category:20th-century history of the Royal Air Force

Category:1919 establishments in the United Kingdom

Category:1964 disestablishments in the United Kingdom

Category:Defunct ministerial offices in the United Kingdom