Viscount Younger of Leckie
Biography
Lord Younger was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions on 1 January 2023.
He was elected as a conservative hereditary peer in 2010 and has covered over 12 departments in the Lords.
Previously, he was a Minister for Intellectual Property at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills from January 2013 until July 2014.
He was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and the Minister of Faith at the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government from 27 July 2019 to 14 February 2020.
Lord Younger was a Government Whip and a Lord-in-Waiting from February 2020 and a Lord in Waiting from May 2015 to July 2019. His departmental responsibilities included Scotland, Northern Ireland, Trade, Transport and Ministry of Defence.
Education
He was educated at Cargilfield School, Edinburgh and Winchester College. He read medieval history at the University of St Andrews and holds an MBA from Henley Management College.
Political career
Lord Younger was elected as a hereditary peer in 2010 and served as a party whip before joining the Government in 2012. Lord Younger was a Lord in Waiting from June 2012 until January 2013 and served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Intellectual Property at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills from January 2013 until July 2014. He was also Lords spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport from September 2012 until January 2013, and Lords spokesperson on higher education business from July 2016 to July 2019.
Career outside politics
Lord Younger was a Personnel Manager at Coats Patons between 1979 and 1984 and subsequently a recruitment consultant and executive search consultant between 1984 and 1994. He was the Human Resources director of UBS Wealth Management between 1994 and 2004.
Personal life
Lord Younger is a member of the Royal Company of Archers, Queen’s Bodyguard for Scotland and is a Trustee of the Highland Society of London. He is married to Jennie with three children and two working Cocker Spaniels, which keep him fit.
He enjoys sailing, skiing, cricket and rural activities.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Lords)
Responsibilities include:
- spokesperson for DWP business in the House of Lords
- child maintenance and family test
- parental conflict
- bereavement benefits
- maternity benefits
- coordination of departmental legislation
- artificial intelligence
- Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) relationship management
- Serious Case Panel
- Health & Safety Executive
- Devolution Framework
- departmental business, including oversight of:
- departmental capability in commercial and digital affairs
- commercial contracting policy
- resourcing and estates
- transparency and data-sharing issues
- research and trialling