Parliamentary Private Secretary

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A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a junior role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament (MP). In this role, the MP acts as the Parliamentary contact for a senior minister, shadow minister, or sometimes a group of ministers. This is an unpaid^[1] position.

1 Powers of a PPS
2 PPSs in the present day
3 Views on the role of PPSs
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Powers of a PPS

PPSs help the government to track backbench opinion and are considered ineligible to sit on Select Committees or propose any amendments to Government Bills which relate to their minister's department.^[2] They are subject to the following restrictions as outlined in the Ministerial Code of the British government:

According to Article 2.7 of the ministerial code PPS are not members of the government and all efforts are made to avoid these positions being referred to as such. They are instead considered more simply as Private Members, however their close confidence with ministers does impose obligations on every PPS. The guidelines surrounding the divulging of information to PPSs are rigid

Ministers will choose their own PPS but must seek the written approval for their candidate from the Prime Minister. It is also traditional procedure to consult the Chief Whip when selecting a PPS. (Article 2.8)

The government expects PPSs to follow voting in such a way that if a PPS were to vote in opposition of policies backed by the government, that member would be automatically relieved from their role as a PPS. In accordance with this they must not appear as a representative for any special policies. (Article 2.9)

PPSs are entitled to the same civil service travel and subsistence allowances, while on official/Departmental business, as any other MPs. This makes the PPS the only type of unpaid advisor known who receives reimbursement in the course of their duty. (Article 2.10)

As a last resort for ministers who must pull out of an event for whatever reason, a PPS may stand in for the minister at the event. This will only happen in exceptional circumstances and must be justified by the minister in charge of the department. If this event is overseas it again requires the Prime Minister's consent. (Article 2.10)

Other restrictions not in the Ministerial Code also apply:

Parliamentary Private Secretaries to Ministers (planning and non-planning) in Communities and Local Government are not allowed to be involved with making planning decisions or in the consideration of planning cases.^[3] The seniority of a PPS is linked to the seniority of the minister in question. Although PPSs are unpaid and do not hold public office, they are regarded as being part of the payroll vote and are expected to be as loyal as ministers.

Although not part of the cabinet, they are officially regarded as members of the government for purposes of collective responsibility, together with junior ministers.

[edit] PPSs in the present day

The number of PPSs a minister can have is not limited to one, but is dependant on the status and office of the minister. As of March 2007 the following ministers have two PPSs:

Rt Hon Hilary Benn, Secretary of State

Rt Hon Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State

Rt Hon Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer

Rt Hon Peter Hain, Secretary of State (with vacant PPS position)

Government practice is to move a PPS between departments in sync with any moves made by the minister to whom they are originally assigned. Vacant PPS posts are only listed a certain length of time after Ministerial changes have been made.^[4]

Tony Blair's PPS is the Rt Hon Keith Hill. Due to his position as PPS to the Prime Minister, he is the only PPS allowed to prefix his name with Rt Hon.

Of the opposition party only the Party Leader and Deputy Leader will have PPSs.

In a recent vote about the renewal of Trident three MPs resigned from their PPS posts due to conflicts of interest: Ealing North MP Stephen Pound,^[5] Livingston MP Jim Devine,^[6] Vale of Clwyd MP Chris Ruane^[7]

[edit] Views on the role of PPSs

After the leaking of party details in emails associated with Desmond Swayne, PPS to David Cameron, a writer of the Thirsk and Malton Labour Party Constituency Blog commented:

"A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a thankless job. Despite having risen to the rank of MP, those with Governmental ambitions will need to pay their dues oncemore - as a bag carrier. Admittedly, PPS is a bit more than that - you are supposed to be the eyes and ears, reporting back to your boss all the gossip, what people are saying about your work in the bars and cafes of Westminster"^[8]

The use of PPSs has in the past been a source of comedy as seen in the series, Yes, Minister:

"James Hacker: Who else is in this department?

Sir Humphrey Appleby: Well briefly, Sir, I am the Permanent Under Secretary of State, known as the Permanent Secretary. Woolley here is your Principal Private Secretary, I too have a Principal Private Secretary and he is the Principal Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary. Directly responsible to me are ten Deputy Secretaries, 87 Under Secretaries and 219 Assistant Secretaries. Directly responsible to the Principal Private Secretary are plain Private Secretaries, and the Prime Minister will be appointing two Parliamentary Under Secretaries and you will be appointing your own Parliamentary Private Secretary.

James Hacker: Do they all type?

Sir Humphrey Appleby: No. Mrs. McKay types. She's the secretary."^[9]

The role is seen as a starting point for many MPs who are looking to become ministers themselves.^[10] In 1963, Proffesor of Political Science Philip W. Buck at Stanford University published a journal article stating:

"Nine-tenths of the M.P.'s who first won seats in the House of Commons in 1918 or thereafter, and who held some ministerial office in the years from 1918 to 1955, began their progress towards posts in a ministry or a Cabinet by serving as parliamentary secretaries or as junior ministers... Recruitment to the front bench clearly begins with these two offices."^[11]