The Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence, also called the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, is the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defence. The office holder is the government's principal civilian adviser on Defence matters. The office holder is a member of the Defence Council and the Defence Board. They are the MOD Principal Accounting Officer, and are called to give evidence to the Defence Select Committee. The position has existed in its current format since the formation of the modern Ministry of Defence in 1964. It was preceded by the Permanent Secretary at the earlier Ministry of Defence (1947–1964), and by the Permanent Secretaries at the government departments that were absorbed into the Ministry of Defence in 1964: the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty, the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for War, and the Permanent Secretary to the Air Ministry. The current Permanent Secretary to the MOD is David Williams.

Responsibilities

Permanent Secretaries to the Ministry of Defence (1947–1964)

The Permanent Secretaries at the earlier Ministry of Defence (1947–1964):

Permanent Secretaries to the Ministry of Defence (1964–present)