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Ministerial role

Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Organisations: HM Treasury
Current role holder: The Rt Hon Emma Reynolds MP

Responsibilities

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (CST) is responsible for public expenditure including spending reviews and strategic planning; in-year spending controls; and driving efficiency and value for money.

Specific areas of focus in relation to public expenditure includes:

  • Treasury’s interest in mission delivery and public service reform (noting that responsibility for the Growth Mission sits with the Chancellor of the Exchequer)

  • Public sector pay

  • Annual Managed Expenditure and welfare spending

  • Tax credits policy

  • Childcare, including tax free childcare

  • Infrastructure spending

  • Digital and technology spending

  • Treasury interest in devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

  • Public Works Loan Board

The CST also has responsibility for capital investment, driving private sector investment in infrastructure and value for money on large national infrastructure projects. This includes being the Treasury lead on housing, planning and infrastructure reform. The CST is the responsible minister for the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority.

Current role holder

The Rt Hon Emma Reynolds MP

Emma Reynolds MP was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 20 July 2026.

She was Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 5 September 2025 to 20 July 2026.

She was previously:

  • Economic Secretary to the Treasury from 14 January 2025 to 5 September 2025
  • Parliamentary Secretary at HM Treasury and the Department of Work and Pensions from 9 July 2024 to 14 January 2025

She was elected as the MP for Wycombe in July 2024.

More about this person

Previous holders of this role

  1. The Rt Hon Lucy Rigby KC MP

    2026 to 2026

  2. The Rt Hon James Murray MP

    2025 to 2026

  3. The Rt Hon Darren Jones MP

    2024 to 2025

  4. The Rt Hon Laura Trott MBE MP

    2023 to 2024

  5. The Rt Hon John Glen MP

    2022 to 2023

  6. The Rt Hon Edward Argar MP

    2022 to 2022

  7. The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP

    2022 to 2022

  8. The Rt Hon Simon Clarke

    2021 to 2022

  9. The Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP

    2020 to 2021

  10. The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP

    2019 to 2020

  11. The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss

    2017 to 2019

  12. The Rt Hon David Gauke

    2016 to 2017

  13. The Rt Hon Greg Hands

    2015 to 2016

  14. The Rt Hon Danny Alexander

    2010 to 2015

  15. The Rt Hon David Laws

    2010 to 2010