Secretary of State for Air

Air Council in session at the Air Ministry in July 1940.

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.

List of leaders

Chairman of the Joint War Air Committee, 1916
Chairman			Term of office			Political party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Edward Stanley 17th Earl of Derby	Template:Small 1916	Template:Small 1916Template:Efn	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative
Presidents of the Air Board, 1916–1917
President			Term of office			Political party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		George Curzon 1st Earl Curzon of Kedleston	Template:Small 1916	Template:Small 1917	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Weetman Pearson 1st Viscount Cowdray	Template:Small 1917	Template:Small 1917	Template:Age in years, months and days	Liberal
Presidents of the Air Council, 1917–1919
President			Term of office			Political party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
		Harold Harmsworth 1st Baron Rothermere	Template:Small 1917	Template:Small 1918	Template:Age in years, months and days
		William Weir 1st Baron Weir	Template:Small 1918	Template:Small 1919	Template:Age in years, months and days
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Jack Seely.jpg	J. E. B. Seely Template:Small	Template:Small 1919	Template:Small 1919Template:Efn	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative
Secretaries of State for Air, 1919–1964
Secretary			Term of office			Political party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Winston ChurchillTemplate:Efn Template:Small	Template:Small 1919	Template:Small 1921	Template:Age in years, months and days	Liberal
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Frederick Edward Guest Template:Small	Template:Small 1921	Template:Small 1922	Template:Age in years, months and days	Liberal
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Sir Samuel Hoare Template:Small	Template:Small 1922	Template:Small 1924	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Christopher Thomson 1st Baron Thomson	Template:Small 1924	Template:Small 1924	Template:Age in years, months and days	Labour
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Sir Samuel Hoare Template:Small	Template:Small 1924	Template:Small 1929	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Christopher Thomson 1st Baron Thomson	Template:Small 1929	Template:Small 1930†	Template:Age in years, months and days	Labour
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		William Mackenzie 1st Baron Amulree	Template:Small 1930	Template:Small 1931	Template:Age in years, months and days	Labour
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart 7th Marquess of Londonderry	Template:Small 1931	Template:Small 1935	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Philip Cunliffe-Lister 1st Viscount Swinton	Template:Small 1935	Template:Small 1938	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Sir Kingsley Wood Template:Small	Template:Small 1938	Template:Small 1940	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Sir Samuel Hoare Template:Small	Template:Small 1940	Template:Small 1940	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Sir Archibald Sinclair Template:Small	Template:Small 1940	Template:Small 1945	Template:Age in years, months and days	Liberal
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Harold Macmillan Template:Small	Template:Small 1945	Template:Small 1945	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		William Wedgwood Benn 1st Viscount Stansgate	Template:Small 1945	Template:Small 1946	Template:Age in years, months and days	Labour
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Philip Noel-Baker Template:Small	Template:Small 1946	Template:Small 1947	Template:Age in years, months and days	Labour
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Arthur Henderson Template:Small	Template:Small 1947	Template:Small 1951	Template:Age in years, months and days	Labour
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		William Sidney 6th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley	Template:Small 1951	Template:Small 1955	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Nigel Birch Template:Small	Template:Small 1955	Template:Small 1957	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		George Ward Template:Small	Template:Small 1957	Template:Small 1960	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Julian Amery Template:Small	Template:Small 1960	Template:Small 1962	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Hugh Fraser Template:Small	Template:Small 1962	Template:Small 1964	Template:Age in years, months and days	Conservative

External links

• Hansard – Secretary of State for Air