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Defence Council of the United Kingdom

 

 
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Defence Council of the United Kingdom
 
 
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The Defence Council of the United Kingdom is the body legally entrusted with the defence of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 and its overseas territories and with control over the British armed forces
British Armed Forces

The armed forces of the United Kingdom, commonly known as the British Armed Forces or His/Her Majesty's Armed Forces, and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, encompasses a Royal Navy, an British Army, and an Royal Air Force....
, and is part of the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Ministry of Defence is the Departments of the United Kingdom Government responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
.

Functions
Prior to 1964, there were five bodies responsible for the armed forces: the Admiralty
Admiralty

The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Originally exercised by a single person, the office of Lord High Admiral was from the 18th century onward almost invariably put "in commission", and was exercised by a Board of Admiralty....
, the War Office
War Office

The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence ....
, the Air Ministry
Air Ministry

The Air Ministry was formerly a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force....
, the Ministry of Aviation
Ministry of Aviation

Ministry of Aviation was a department of the United Kingdom government, established in 1959. Its responsibilities included the regulation of civil aviation and the supply of military aircraft, which it took on from the Ministry of Supply ....
, and a smaller Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Ministry of Defence is the Departments of the United Kingdom Government responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
. By Orders-in-Council issued under the Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964, the functions of these bodies were transferred to the Defence Council and the Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Defence

The Secretary of State for Defence is the senior United Kingdom government Political minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence . It is a Cabinet of the United Kingdom position....
, who heads a larger Ministry of Defence.

The Secretary of State for Defence, who is a member of the Cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom

In the politics of the United Kingdom, the Cabinet is a formal body composed of the most senior Her Majesty's Governmentminister chosen by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom....
, chairs the Defence Council, and is accountable to the Queen and to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislature in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories....
 for its business.






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The Defence Council of the United Kingdom is the body legally entrusted with the defence of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 and its overseas territories and with control over the British armed forces
British Armed Forces

The armed forces of the United Kingdom, commonly known as the British Armed Forces or His/Her Majesty's Armed Forces, and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, encompasses a Royal Navy, an British Army, and an Royal Air Force....
, and is part of the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Ministry of Defence is the Departments of the United Kingdom Government responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
.

Functions


Prior to 1964, there were five bodies responsible for the armed forces: the Admiralty
Admiralty

The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Originally exercised by a single person, the office of Lord High Admiral was from the 18th century onward almost invariably put "in commission", and was exercised by a Board of Admiralty....
, the War Office
War Office

The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence ....
, the Air Ministry
Air Ministry

The Air Ministry was formerly a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force....
, the Ministry of Aviation
Ministry of Aviation

Ministry of Aviation was a department of the United Kingdom government, established in 1959. Its responsibilities included the regulation of civil aviation and the supply of military aircraft, which it took on from the Ministry of Supply ....
, and a smaller Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Ministry of Defence is the Departments of the United Kingdom Government responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
. By Orders-in-Council issued under the Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964, the functions of these bodies were transferred to the Defence Council and the Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Defence

The Secretary of State for Defence is the senior United Kingdom government Political minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence . It is a Cabinet of the United Kingdom position....
, who heads a larger Ministry of Defence.

The Secretary of State for Defence, who is a member of the Cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom

In the politics of the United Kingdom, the Cabinet is a formal body composed of the most senior Her Majesty's Governmentminister chosen by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom....
, chairs the Defence Council, and is accountable to the Queen and to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislature in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories....
 for its business. The letters patent
Letters patent

Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of an open letter issued by a monarch or government, granting an office, right, government-granted monopoly, title, or status to a person or to some entity such as a corporation....
 constituting the Defence Council vest it with the power of command over Her Majesty's Forces
British Armed Forces

The armed forces of the United Kingdom, commonly known as the British Armed Forces or His/Her Majesty's Armed Forces, and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, encompasses a Royal Navy, an British Army, and an Royal Air Force....
 and give it responsibility for their administration, or in the words of the letters patent:

"...to administer such matters pertaining to Our Naval Military and Air Forces as We through Our Principal Secretary of State for Defence direct them to execute And to have command under Us of all Officers Ratings Soldiers and Airmen of Our Naval Military and Air Forces...".


In practice, the Defence Council is a formal body, and almost all its work is conducted by or on behalf of the three service boards chaired by the Secretary of State which report to the Defence Council, namely the Admiralty Board, the Army Board
Army Board

The Army Board is the senior single-service management committee of the British Army:...
 and the Air Force Board
Air Force Board

The Air Force Board of the Defence Council is responsible for the management of the Royal Air Force.Prior to the creation of the current United Kingdom Ministry of Defence in 1964, the administration of the RAF and its personnel was undertaken by the Air Force Council, part of the Air Ministry....
.

Membership

The members of the Defence Council are:

Ministers

  • Secretary of State for Defence
    Secretary of State for Defence

    The Secretary of State for Defence is the senior United Kingdom government Political minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence . It is a Cabinet of the United Kingdom position....
  • Minister of State for the Armed Forces
  • Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support
    Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support

    Paul Drayson, Baron Drayson was appointed as the first Minister for Defence Equipment and Support in March 2007. This new appointment was made in order to reflect the establishment of the Defence Equipment & Support procurement organisation of the Ministry of Defence ....
  • Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Veteran’s Affairs


Officials

  • Chief of the Defence Staff
    Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)

    The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces and the principal military adviser to the British Government....
  • Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff
    Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff

    The Vice Chief of the Defence Staff is the deputy to the professional head of the British Armed Forces, the Chief of the Defence Staff ....
  • Chief of the Naval Staff and First Sea Lord
    First Sea Lord

    The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS....
  • Chief of the General Staff
  • Chief of the Air Staff
  • Chief of Defence Procurement
    Chief of Defence Materiel

    The Chief of Defence Materiel is a senior post in the British armed forces created in April 2007. It merges the roles of Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief of Defence Logistics....
  • Chief Scientific Adviser
    MoD Chief Scientific Adviser

    The Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK's Ministry of Defence is responsible for providing strategic management of science and technology issues in the MoD, most directly through the MoD research budget of well over ?1 billion, and sits as a full member of the Defence Management Board and the Defence Council of the United Kingdom, the two mos...
  • Permanent Under Secretary of State for Defence
  • Second Permanent Under Secretary of State


Sources