# Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Welsh: Is-ysgrifennydd Gwladol Seneddol Cymru), often referred to simply as the Welsh Office Minister, is a junior ministerial post (of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State rank) in the Government of the United Kingdom, supporting the Secretary of State for Wales.

## History

A post of Minister of Welsh Affairs was created in 1951 under the Home Secretary and was upgraded to Minister of State level in 1954. On 17 October 1964 The post was further upgraded to Secretary of State for Wales, which was a cabinet level role, being assisted by a junior minister.
Between 1964 and the establishment of devolution in 1999 there were regularly two junior ministers within the Welsh Office, often but not always consisting of a Minister of State and a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, with each assigned specific roles (health, education etc.). Following devolution and the transfer of powers from Westminster to the National Assembly, there was only one Under-Secretary of State working directly with the Secretary of State.
A second (and unpaid) Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State role was created in 2012 during the Coalition Government with one minister serving in the Commons and one in the Lords. This situation was maintained following the 2015 general election with two Under-Secretaries of State, one being paid by the Welsh Office and one unpaid (or paid by another government department for a joint role). Following the appointment of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, Nick Bourne resigned and no replacement Minister was appointed.

## Ministers of Welsh Affairs (1951–1964)

For a list of ministers of Welsh affairs see: Ministers of Welsh Affairs (1951–1964)

## Minister of State for Wales in the House of Commons (1964–1999)

* 1964–1966 Goronwy Roberts
* 1966–1969 Ifor Davies
* 1967–1970 Eirene White
* 1970–1974 David Gibson-Watt
* 1974–1983 None. Two Under-Secretary of States for Wales existed, see below
* 1983–1987 John Stradling Thomas
* 1987–1994 Wyn Roberts
* 1994–1999 None. Two Under-Secretary of States for Wales were created, see below

## Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Wales in the House of Commons (1974–1999)

* 13 October 1969 to 19 June 1970 Edward Rowlands
* 1970-1974 ???
* 1974–1976 Alec Jones & Barry Jones
* 1976–1979 Alec Jones & Edward Rowlands
* 1979–1983 Wyn Roberts & Michael Roberts
* 1983–1985 Wyn Roberts & John Stradling Thomas
* 1985–1987 Wyn Roberts & Mark Robinson
* 15 June 1987 - 28 November 1990 Ian Grist
* 3 December 1990 - 20 July 1992 Nicholas Bennett
* 20 July 1994 – 2 June 1996 Gwilym Jones & Rod Richards
* 2 June 1996 – 2 May 1997 Gwilym Jones & Jonathan Evans
* 2 May 1997 – 28 July 1998 and Peter Hain and Win Griffiths
* 29 July 1998 – 29 July 1999 Peter Hain and Jon Owen Jones

## Junior Welsh Office Ministers in the House of Commons (1999–present)

Colour key  Labour  Conservative

### Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Wales in the House of Commons (1999–present)

| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | P.M. | Welsh Sec. |
| David Hanson | 29 July 1999 | 11 June 2001 | Labour | Tony Blair | Peter Hain |
| Don Touhig | 11 June 2001 | May 2005 | Labour | Tony Blair | Peter Hain |
| Nick Ainger | May 2005 | 27 June 2007 | Labour | Tony Blair | Peter Hain |
| Huw Irranca-Davies | 29 June 2007 | 5 October 2008 | Labour | Gordon Brown | Peter Hain & Paul Murphy |
| Wayne David | 5 October 2008 | 11 May 2010 | Labour | Gordon Brown | Paul Murphy &Peter Hain |
| David Jones | 11 May 2010 | 4 September 2012 | Conservative | David Cameron | Cheryl Gillan |
| Stephen Crabb Also served as an Assistant Government Whip | 4 September 2012 | 15 July 2014 | Conservative | David Cameron | David Jones |
| Alun Cairns | 15 July 2014 | 19 March 2016 | Conservative | David Cameron | Stephen Crabb |
| Guto Bebb | 19 March 2016 | 9 January 2018 | Conservative | David Cameron | Alun Cairns |
| Guto Bebb | 19 March 2016 | 9 January 2018 | Conservative | Theresa May | Alun Cairns |
| Stuart Andrew | 9 January 2018 | 19 July 2018 | Conservative | Theresa May | Alun Cairns |
| Mims Davies Unpaid by Wales Office. Also serving as Assistant Government Whip | 26 July 2018 | 5 November 2018 | Conservative | Theresa May | Alun Cairns |
| Nigel Adams Unpaid by Wales Office. Also serving as Assistant Government Whip | 5 November 2018 | 3 April 2019 | Conservative | Theresa May | Alun Cairns |
| Kevin Foster Unpaid by Wales Office. Also serving as Assistant Government Whip | 4 April 2019 | 16 December 2019 | Conservative | Theresa May | Alun Cairns |
| Kevin Foster Unpaid by Wales Office. Also serving as Assistant Government Whip | 4 April 2019 | 16 December 2019 | Conservative | Boris Johnson | Alun Cairns |
| David Davies Also serving as Assistant Government Whip 13 February 2020 – 25 July 2022 Lord Commissioner of the Treasury 25 July 2022 – 8 September 2022 (Unpaid by Wales Office during this time) | 16 December 2019 | 25 October 2022 | Conservative | Boris Johnson | Simon Hart |
| David Davies Also serving as Assistant Government Whip 13 February 2020 – 25 July 2022 Lord Commissioner of the Treasury 25 July 2022 – 8 September 2022 (Unpaid by Wales Office during this time) | 16 December 2019 | 25 October 2022 | Conservative | Boris Johnson | Robert Buckland |
| David Davies Also serving as Assistant Government Whip 13 February 2020 – 25 July 2022 Lord Commissioner of the Treasury 25 July 2022 – 8 September 2022 (Unpaid by Wales Office during this time) | 16 December 2019 | 25 October 2022 | Conservative | Liz Truss | Robert Buckland |
| James Davies | 27 October 2022 | 13 November 2023 | Conservative | Rishi Sunak | David Davies |
| Fay Jones | 13 November 2023 | 5 July 2024 | Conservative | Rishi Sunak | David Davies |
| Nia Griffith | 9 July 2024 | Incumbent | Labour | Sir Keir Starmer | Jo Stevens |

## Junior Welsh Office Ministers in the House of Lords (2012–present)

Colour key  Conservative  Liberal Democrats
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Wales in the House of Lords (2012–present) :
| Name | Name | Portrait | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Prime Minister | Secretary of State |
| | The Baroness Randerson Unpaid | | 5 September 2012 | 8 May 2015 | Liberal Democrats | David Cameron (Coalition) | David Jones & Stephen Crabb |
| | The Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth Also served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (2015–16) and for Housing,Communities and Local Government (from 2016) | | 12 May 2015 | 17 June 2017 | Conservative | David Cameron (II) Theresa May (I) | Stephen Crabb & Alun Cairns |
| | The Lord Duncan of Springbank Also served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland | | 17 June 2017 | 27 November 2017 | Conservative | Theresa May (II) | Alun Cairns |
| | The Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth And Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government | | 27 November 2017 | 26 July 2019 | Conservative | Theresa May (II) | Alun Cairns |
| Office not in use | Office not in use | Office not in use | 26 July 2019 | Present | Conservative | | |