Ministerial role

Secretary of State for Wales

Contents

Responsibilities

The Secretary of State is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the Wales Office.

Responsibilities include:

  • Overall Strategic Direction
  • Constitutional and Electoral Issues
  • Economy and Business
  • Budget
  • Infrastructure
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Steel
  • Swansea City Deal / Tidal Lagoon
  • North Wales Growth Deal / North Wales transport modernisation
  • Broadcasting
  • Exiting the EU

Current role holder: The Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP

Alun Cairns was appointed Secretary of State for Wales on 19 March 2016. He was elected as Conservative MP for the Vale of Glamorgan in May 2010 (re-elected 2015).

Education

Alun attended the University of Wales and has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

Political career

  • Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales and a Government Whip July 2014 to March 2016
  • appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Wales Office 2014
  • elected as MP for the Vale of Glamorgan 2010
  • elected as Assembly Member to the Welsh Assembly 1999

Career outside politics

Before being elected to the Welsh Assembly, Alun worked for Lloyds Bank for more than 10 years, mostly in business development, with his last role in financial services compliance.

Personal life

Alun lives in his constituency with his wife Emma, who runs her own small business, and their son Henri. His father was a welder in British Steel and his mother was a shop-keeper.

He enjoys running and has completed 4 London Marathons in aid of local charities and was the fastest MP to complete the 26 mile course in 2015.

More about this person

Previous holders of this role

  1. The Rt Hon Stephen Crabb

    • 2014 to 2016

  2. The Rt Hon David Jones MP

    • 2012 to 2014

  3. The Rt Hon Cheryl Gillan

    • 2010 to 2012

Announcements

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  1. Welsh employment rate hits new record high

    • Press release

  2. £51m UK Government backing for Welsh innovation

    • Press release

  3. Techniquest set to receive £3m in UK Government funding to develop STEM hub

    • Press release

  4. Forging a full fibre broadband and 5G future for all

    • News story

  5. Wales set to host Board of Trade this November

    • Press release

  6. Michael Gove celebrates the best of Welsh at the Royal Show

    • News story

  7. UK Government salutes Wales’ pioneering females in agriculture at Royal Welsh Show

    • News story

  8. UK Government Ministers support Wales’ rural economy at Royal Welsh Show

    • Press release

  9. Defence is important for Welsh prosperity, independent review concludes

    • Press release

  10. Welsh businesses named and shamed for underpaying minimum wage workers

    • Press release
View all announcements