Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat
Head of Secretariat
Simon McDonald CMG – Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Policy and Defence Issues
Deputy Heads of Secretariat
- Julian Miller CB, Director and Deputy Head
- Philip Barton CMG OBE, Director, Afghanistan and Pakistan Coordinator
What are our key responsibilities?
To support and advise the Prime Minister in delivering the Cabinet Office's wider responsibilities for providing support to the Cabinet in driving the coherence, quality and delivery of foreign and defence policy across departments.
Summary of the Secretariat's aims and objectives
- to deliver Whitehall-wide foreign, security and defence policy for Prime Minister and ministers
- communicating the PM's views to Whitehall and to advisers to other countries Heads of Government
- developing and co – ordinating cross Government strategies in support of Cabinet Government
- to support Cabinet Office Ministers and their Committees by ensuring that government business is conducted in a timely and effective way and that proper collective consideration takes place during decisions on policy matters
Key customers
Whitehall Departments
- Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO)
- Ministry of Defence (MOD)
- Department for International Development (DFID)
- Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR)
- HM Treasury
- Home Office
