# Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs was a junior position in the British government, subordinate to both the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and since 1945 also to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. The post is based at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which was created by the merger of the Foreign Office, where the position was initially based, with the Commonwealth Office in 1968 and the Department for International Development in 2020. Notable holders of the office include Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley, Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon, George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, and Anthony Eden.

## List of ministers

| Name | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | P.M. | F.Sec. |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs |||||||||
| | William Fraser | 1782 | 1789 | | | |
| | Richard Brinsley Sheridan | 1782 | 1782 | Whig | The Marquess of Rockingham | Fox |
| | George Maddison | 1782 | 1783 | Whig | The Earl of Shelburne | The Lord Grantham |
| | George Maddison | 1782 | 1783 | Whig | The Duke of Portland | Fox |
| | St Andrew St John | 1783 | 1789 | | Pitt the Younger | The Earl Temple |
| | St Andrew St John | 1783 | 1789 | | Pitt the Younger | The Duke of Leeds |
| | Hon. Dudley Ryder | 1789 | 1789 | Tory | Pitt the Younger | The Duke of Leeds |
| | Sir James Burges, Bt | 1789 | January 1796 | | Pitt the Younger | The Duke of Leeds |
| | Sir James Burges, Bt | 1789 | January 1796 | | Pitt the Younger | The Lord Grenville |
| | George Canning | January 1796 | April 1799 | Tory | Pitt the Younger | The Lord Grenville |
| | John Hookham Frere | April 1799 | September 1800 | | Pitt the Younger | The Lord Grenville |
| | Edward Fisher | September 1800 | February 1801 | | Pitt the Younger | The Lord Grenville |
| | Lord Hervey | February 1801 | November 1803 | | Addington | The Lord Hawkesbury |
| | Charles Arbuthnot | November 1803 | June 1804 | Tory | Addington | The Lord Hawkesbury |
| | William Eliot | June 1804 | February 1805 | Tory | Pitt the Younger | The Lord Harrowby |
| | Robert Ward | February 1805 | February 1806 | Tory | Pitt the Younger | The Lord Mulgrave |
| | George Walpole | February 1806 | March 1807 | | The Lord Grenville | Fox |
| | George Walpole | February 1806 | March 1807 | | The Lord Grenville | The Viscount Howick |
| | Sir Francis Vincent | February 1806 | March 1807 | | The Duke of Portland | Canning |
| | The Viscount FitzHarris | March 1807 | August 1807 | | The Duke of Portland | Canning |
| | Charles Bagot | August 1807 | December 1809 | | The Duke of Portland | Canning |
| | Charles Bagot | August 1807 | December 1809 | | Perceval | The Earl Bathurst |
| | Culling Charles Smith | December 1809 | February 1812 | | Perceval | The Marquess Wellesley |
| | Edward Cooke | February 1812 | 1817 | | Perceval | The Marquess Wellesley |
| | Edward Cooke | February 1812 | 1817 | | The Earl of Liverpool | The Marquess of Londonderry |
| | Joseph Planta | 25 July 1817 | 22 January 1822 | Tory | The Earl of Liverpool | The Marquess of Londonderry |
| | The Earl of Clanwilliam | January 1822 | January 1823 | | The Earl of Liverpool | The Marquess of Londonderry |
| | The Earl of Clanwilliam | January 1822 | January 1823 | | The Earl of Liverpool | Canning |
| | Lord Francis Conyngham | January 1823 | January 1826 | Tory | The Earl of Liverpool | Canning |
| | The Lord Howard de Walden | July 1824 | June 1828 | Tory | The Earl of Liverpool | Canning |
| | The Lord Howard de Walden | July 1824 | June 1828 | Tory | The Earl of Liverpool | The Earl of Dudley |
| | The Marquess of Clanricarde | January 1826 | 1827 | Tory | The Earl of Liverpool | The Earl of Dudley |
| | Lord Dunglass | June 1828 | November 1830 | Tory | The Duke of Wellington | The Earl of Dudley |
| | Lord Dunglass | June 1828 | November 1830 | Tory | The Duke of Wellington | The Earl of Aberdeen |
| | Sir George Shee | 26 November 1830 | 13 November 1834 | Whig | The Earl Grey | The Viscount Palmerston |
| | Sir George Shee | 26 November 1830 | 13 November 1834 | Whig | The Viscount Melbourne | The Viscount Palmerston |
| | The Viscount Fordwich | 13 November 1834 | 17 December 1834 | Whig | The Duke of Wellington | The Duke of Wellington |
| | The Viscount Mahon | 17 December 1834 | 18 April 1835 | Conservative | Peel | The Duke of Wellington |
| | William Fox-Strangways | 18 April 1835 | 7 March 1840 | Whig | The Viscount Melbourne | The Viscount Palmerston |
| | Lord Leveson | 7 March 1840 | 4 September 1841 | Whig | The Viscount Melbourne | The Viscount Palmerston |
| | The Viscount Canning | 4 September 1841 | 27 January 1846 | Conservative | Peel | The Earl of Aberdeen |
| | George Smythe | 27 January 1846 | 6 July 1846 | Conservative | Peel | The Earl of Aberdeen |
| | Edward Stanley | 6 July 1846 | 12 February 1852 | Whig | Russell | The Viscount Palmerston |
| | Edward Stanley | 6 July 1846 | 12 February 1852 | Whig | Russell | The Earl Granville |
| | Austen Henry Layard | 12 February 1852 | 18 May 1852 | Whig | Russell | The Earl Granville |
| | Lord Stanley | 18 May 1852 | 28 December 1852 | Conservative | The Earl of Derby | The Earl of Malmesbury |
| | The Lord Wodehouse | 28 December 1852 | 5 July 1856 | Whig | The Earl of Aberdeen | Lord John Russell |
| | The Lord Wodehouse | 28 December 1852 | 5 July 1856 | Whig | The Earl of Aberdeen | The Earl of Clarendon |
| | The Earl of Shelburne | 5 July 1856 | 26 February 1858 | Whig | The Viscount Palmerston | The Earl of Clarendon |
| | William Vesey-FitzGerald | 26 February 1858 | 19 June 1859 | Conservative | The Earl of Derby | The Earl of Malmesbury |
| | The Lord Wodehouse | 19 June 1859 | 15 August 1861 | Liberal | The Viscount Palmerston | The Earl Russell |
| | Austen Henry Layard | 15 August 1861 | 6 July 1866 | Liberal | The Viscount Palmerston | The Earl Russell |
| | Austen Henry Layard | 15 August 1861 | 6 July 1866 | Liberal | The Earl Russell | The Earl of Clarendon |
| | Edward Egerton | 6 July 1866 | 12 December 1868 | Conservative | The Earl of Derby | The Lord Stanley |
| | Edward Egerton | 6 July 1866 | 12 December 1868 | Conservative | Disraeli | The Lord Stanley |
| | Arthur Otway | 12 December 1868 | 9 January 1871 | Liberal | Gladstone | The Earl of Clarendon |
| | Arthur Otway | 12 December 1868 | 9 January 1871 | Liberal | Gladstone | The Earl Granville |
| | The Viscount Enfield | 9 January 1871 | 23 February 1874 | Liberal | Gladstone | The Earl Granville |
| | Robert Bourke | 23 February 1874 | 28 April 1880 | Conservative | Disraeli | The 15th Earl of Derby |
| | Robert Bourke | 23 February 1874 | 28 April 1880 | Conservative | Disraeli | The Marquess of Salisbury |
| | Sir Charles Dilke | 28 April 1880 | 1 January 1883 | Liberal | Gladstone | The Earl Granville |
| | Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice | 1 January 1883 | 25 June 1885 | Liberal | Gladstone | The Earl Granville |
| | Robert Bourke | 25 June 1885 | 28 January 1886 | Conservative | The Marquess of Salisbury | The Marquess of Salisbury |
| | James Bryce | 7 February 1886 | 20 July 1886 | Liberal | Gladstone | The Earl of Rosebery |
| | Sir James Fergusson | 4 August 1886 | 22 September 1891 | Conservative | The Marquess of Salisbury | The Earl of Iddesleigh |
| | Sir James Fergusson | 4 August 1886 | 22 September 1891 | Conservative | The Marquess of Salisbury | The Marquess of Salisbury |
| | James Lowther | 22 September 1891 | 18 August 1892 | Conservative | The Marquess of Salisbury | The Marquess of Salisbury |
| | Sir Edward Grey | 18 August 1892 | 20 June 1895 | Liberal | Gladstone | The Earl of Rosebery |
| | Sir Edward Grey | 18 August 1892 | 20 June 1895 | Liberal | The Earl of Rosebery | The Earl of Rosebery |
| | Sir Edward Grey | 18 August 1892 | 20 June 1895 | Liberal | The Earl of Rosebery | The Earl of Kimberley |
| | George Curzon | 20 June 1895 | 15 October 1898 | Conservative | The Marquess of Salisbury | The Marquess of Salisbury |
| | St John Brodrick | 15 October 1898 | 12 November 1900 | Conservative | The Marquess of Salisbury | The Marquess of Salisbury |
| | The Viscount Cranborne | 12 November 1900 | 9 October 1903 | Conservative | The Marquess of Salisbury | The Marquess of Lansdowne |
| | The Viscount Cranborne | 12 November 1900 | 9 October 1903 | Conservative | Balfour | The Marquess of Lansdowne |
| | Earl Percy | 9 October 1903 | 18 December 1905 | Conservative | Balfour | The Marquess of Lansdowne |
| | Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice | 18 December 1905 | 19 October 1908 | Liberal | Campbell-Bannerman | Grey |
| | Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice | 18 December 1905 | 19 October 1908 | Liberal | Asquith | Grey |
| | Thomas McKinnon Wood | 19 October 1908 | 23 October 1911 | Liberal | Asquith | Grey |
| | Francis Dyke Acland | 23 October 1911 | 4 February 1915 | Liberal | Asquith | Grey |
| | Neil Primrose | 4 February 1915 | 30 May 1915 | Liberal | Asquith | Grey |
| | Lord Robert Cecil | 30 May 1915 | 10 January 1919 | Conservative | Asquith | Grey |
| | Lord Robert Cecil | 30 May 1915 | 10 January 1919 | Conservative | Lloyd George | Balfour |
| | Cecil Harmsworth | 10 January 1919 | 31 October 1922 | Liberal | Lloyd George | Balfour |
| | Ronald McNeill | 31 October 1922 | 23 January 1924 | Conservative | Law | Balfour |
| | Ronald McNeill | 31 October 1922 | 23 January 1924 | Conservative | Law | The Marquess Curzon of Kedleston |
| | Ronald McNeill | 31 October 1922 | 23 January 1924 | Conservative | Baldwin | The Marquess Curzon of Kedleston |
| | Arthur Ponsonby | 23 January 1924 | 11 November 1924 | Labour | MacDonald | MacDonald |
| | Ronald McNeill | 11 November 1924 | 7 December 1925 | Conservative | Baldwin | Chamberlain |
| | Godfrey Locker-Lampson | 7 December 1925 | 11 June 1929 | Conservative | Baldwin | Chamberlain |
| | Hugh Dalton | 11 June 1929 | 3 September 1931 | Labour | MacDonald | Henderson |
| | Anthony Eden | 3 September 1931 | 18 January 1934 | Conservative | MacDonald | The Marquess of Reading |
| | Anthony Eden | 3 September 1931 | 18 January 1934 | Conservative | MacDonald | Simon |
| | The Earl Stanhope | 18 January 1934 | 16 June 1936 | Conservative | MacDonald | Simon |
| | The Earl Stanhope | 18 January 1934 | 16 June 1936 | Conservative | Baldwin | Hoare |
| | The Earl Stanhope | 18 January 1934 | 16 June 1936 | Conservative | Baldwin | Eden |
| | The Viscount Cranborne | 18 June 1935 | 20 February 1938 | Conservative | Baldwin (1935–37) Chamberlain (1937–40) | Eden (1935–38) The Viscount Halifax (1938–40) |
| | The Earl of Plymouth | 30 July 1936 | 12 May 1940 | Conservative | Baldwin (1935–37) Chamberlain (1937–40) | Eden (1935–38) The Viscount Halifax (1938–40) |
| | Rab Butler | 25 February 1938 | 20 July 1941 | Conservative | Chamberlain | The Viscount Halifax |
| | Rab Butler | 25 February 1938 | 20 July 1941 | Conservative | Churchill | The Viscount Halifax |
| | Rab Butler | 25 February 1938 | 20 July 1941 | Conservative | Churchill | Eden |
| | Richard Law | 20 July 1941 | 25 September 1943 | Conservative | Churchill | Eden |
| | George Hall | 25 September 1943 | 26 May 1945 | Labour | Churchill | Eden |
| | Lord Dunglass | 26 May 1945 | 26 July 1945 | Conservative | Churchill | Eden |
| | The Lord Lovat | 26 May 1945 | 26 July 1945 | Conservative | Churchill | Eden |
| | Hector McNeil | 4 August 1945 | 4 October 1946 | Labour | Attlee | Bevin |
| | Christopher Mayhew | 4 October 1946 | 2 March 1950 | Labour | Attlee | Bevin |
| | The Lord Henderson | 7 June 1948 | 26 October 1951 | Labour | Attlee | Bevin |
| | Ernest Davies | 2 March 1950 | 26 October 1951 | Labour | Attlee | Bevin |
| | Ernest Davies | 2 March 1950 | 26 October 1951 | Labour | Attlee | Morrison |
| | The Marquess of Reading | 31 October 1951 | 11 November 1953 | Conservative | Churchill | Eden |
| | Anthony Nutting | 31 October 1951 | 18 October 1954 | Conservative | Churchill | Eden |
| | Douglas Dodds-Parker | 11 November 1953 | 18 October 1954 | Conservative | Churchill | Eden |
| | Robin Turton | 18 October 1954 | 20 December 1955 | Conservative | Churchill (1954–55) Eden (1955–56) | Eden (1954–55) Macmillan (1955) Lloyd (1955–56) |
| | Lord John Hope | 18 October 1954 | 9 November 1956 | Conservative | Churchill (1954–55) Eden (1955–56) | Eden (1954–55) Macmillan (1955) Lloyd (1955–56) |
| | Douglas Dodds-Parker | 20 December 1955 | 9 January 1957 | Conservative | Eden | Lloyd |
| | David Ormsby-Gore | 9 November 1956 | 9 January 1957 | Conservative | Eden | Lloyd |
| | Ian Harvey | 18 January 1957 | 24 November 1958 | Conservative | Macmillan | Lloyd |
| | The Earl of Gosford | 18 January 1957 | 23 October 1958 | Conservative | Macmillan | Lloyd |
| | The Marquess of Lansdowne | 23 October 1958 | 20 April 1962 | Conservative | Macmillan | Lloyd |
| | The Marquess of Lansdowne | 23 October 1958 | 20 April 1962 | Conservative | Macmillan | The Earl of Home |
| | John Profumo | 28 November 1958 | 16 January 1959 | Conservative | Macmillan | Lloyd |
| | Robert Allan | 16 January 1959 | 7 October 1960 | Conservative | Macmillan | Lloyd |
| | Joseph Godber | 28 October 1960 | 27 June 1961 | Conservative | Macmillan | The Earl of Home |
| | Peter Thomas | 27 June 1961 | 27 June 1963 | Conservative | Macmillan | The Earl of Home |
| | Peter Smithers | 16 July 1962 | 29 January 1964 | Conservative | Macmillan | The Earl of Home |
| | Peter Smithers | 16 July 1962 | 29 January 1964 | Conservative | Douglas-Home | Butler |
| | Robert Mathew | 30 January 1964 | 16 October 1964 | Conservative | Douglas-Home | Butler |
| | The Lord Walston | 20 October 1964 | 7 January 1967 | Labour | Wilson | Walker |
| | The Lord Walston | 20 October 1964 | 7 January 1967 | Labour | Wilson | Stewart |
| | The Lord Walston | 20 October 1964 | 7 January 1967 | Labour | Wilson | Brown |
| | Bill Rodgers | 7 January 1967 | 3 July 1968 | Labour | Wilson | Brown |
| | Maurice Foley | 3 July 1968 | 17 October 1968 | Labour | Wilson | Stewart |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs |||||||||
| | Maurice Foley | 17 October 1968 | 19 June 1970 | Labour | Wilson | Stewart |
| | William Whitlock | 17 October 1968 | 13 October 1969 | Labour | Wilson | Stewart |
| | Evan Luard | 13 October 1969 | 19 June 1970 | Labour | Wilson | Stewart |
| | Anthony Royle | 24 June 1970 | 8 January 1974 | Conservative | Heath | Douglas-Home |
| | The Marquess of Lothian | 24 June 1970 | 9 April 1972 | Conservative | Heath | Douglas-Home |
| | Anthony Kershaw | 15 October 1970 | 5 June 1973 | Conservative | Heath | Douglas-Home |
| | Peter Blaker | 8 January 1974 | 4 March 1974 | Conservative | Heath | Douglas-Home |
| | The Lord Goronwy-Roberts | 8 March 1974 | 4 December 1975 | Labour | Wilson | Callaghan |
| | Joan Lestor | 8 March 1974 | 12 June 1975 | Labour | Wilson | Callaghan |
| | Ted Rowlands | 12 June 1975 | 14 April 1976 | Labour | Wilson | Callaghan |
| | John Tomlinson | 17 March 1976 | 4 May 1979 | Labour | Callaghan | Crosland (1976–77) Owen (1977–79) |
| | Evan Luard | 14 April 1976 | 4 May 1979 | Labour | Callaghan | Crosland (1976–77) Owen (1977–79) |
| | Richard Luce | 6 May 1979 | 14 September 1981 | Conservative | Thatcher | The Lord Carrington |
| | The Lord Trefgarne | 14 September 1981 | 6 April 1982 | Conservative | Thatcher | The Lord Carrington |
| | Malcolm Rifkind | 6 April 1982 | 13 June 1983 | Conservative | Thatcher | Pym |
| | Ray Whitney | 13 June 1983 | 11 September 1984 | Conservative | Thatcher | Howe |
| | Tim Renton | 11 September 1984 | 2 September 1985 | Conservative | Thatcher | Howe |
| | Timothy Eggar | 2 September 1985 | 24 July 1989 | Conservative | Thatcher | Howe |
| | Tim Sainsbury | 24 July 1989 | 24 July 1990 | Conservative | Thatcher | Major |
| | Tim Sainsbury | 24 July 1989 | 24 July 1990 | Conservative | Thatcher | Hurd |
| | Hon. Mark Lennox-Boyd | 24 July 1990 | 20 July 1994 | Conservative | Thatcher | Hurd |
| | Hon. Mark Lennox-Boyd | 24 July 1990 | 20 July 1994 | Conservative | Major | Hurd |
| Office vacant from 1994 to 1996 |||||||||
| | Liam Fox | 23 July 1996 | 1 May 1997 | Conservative | Major | Rifkind |
| | The Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean | 2 May 1997 | 28 June 1999 | Labour | Blair | Cook |
| | The Baroness Scotland of Asthal | 28 July 1999 | 12 June 2001 | Labour | Blair | Cook |
| | The Baroness Amos | 12 June 2001 | 13 June 2003 | Labour | Blair | Straw |
| | Ben Bradshaw | 12 June 2001 | 29 May 2002 | Labour | Blair | Straw |
| | Mike O'Brien | 29 May 2002 | 13 June 2003 | Labour | Blair | Straw |
| | Bill Rammell | 28 October 2002 | 10 May 2005 | Labour | Blair | Straw |
| | Chris Mullin | 13 June 2003 | 10 May 2005 | Labour | Blair | Straw |
| | The Lord Triesman | 10 May 2005 | 28 June 2007 | Labour | Blair | Straw |
| | The Lord Triesman | 10 May 2005 | 28 June 2007 | Labour | Blair | Beckett |
| | Meg Munn | 29 June 2007 | 5 October 2008 | Labour | Brown | Miliband |
| | Gillian Merron | 5 October 2008 | 9 June 2009 | Labour | Brown | Miliband |
| | Chris Bryant | 9 June 2009 | 11 May 2010 | Labour | Brown | Miliband |
| Role merged into Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Asia and the Pacific |||||||||