125:
69:
1420:
29:
246:…to administer such matters pertaining to Our Naval Military and Air Forces as We through Our Principal Secretary of State for Defence direct them to execute And to have command under Us of all Officers Ratings Soldiers and Airmen of Our Naval Military and Air Forces…
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is described as the highest committee of the
Ministry of Defence, responsible for the full range of defence business other than the conduct of operations. It meets every month and provides strategic direction and oversight of defence matters.
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266:), which are sub-committees of the Defence Council meet annually for each service chief to report to the Secretary of State on the health of their respective services.
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issued under the
Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964, the functions of these bodies were transferred to the Defence Council and the
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140:. It was established by the Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964, which statutorily delegated the military authority of
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In practice, the
Defence Council is a formal body, and almost all its work is conducted by the
148:, to the Defence Council. It has the power of "command and administration" over the military.
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171:, the minister of the crown with "general responsibility for defence" of the United Kingdom.
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Non-Executive
Defence Board Member and Chair of the Defence Equipment and Support Board
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and give it responsibility for their administration, or in the words of the
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Non-Executive
Defence Board Member and Chair of the Defence Audit Committee
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constituting the
Defence Council vest it with the power of command over
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274:
As of
September 2024, membership of the Defence Council is as follows:
259:
192:
160:
905:
378:
Second
Permanent Under-Secretary of State of the Ministry of Defence
83:
1165:
Non-Executive
Defence Board Member and Chair of the People Committee
28:
434:
91:
1075:
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for
Veterans and People
574:
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Veterans and People
349:
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Veterans and People
336:
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces
218:
The Secretary of State for Defence, who is a member of the
682:
Lead Non-Executive Director to the Defence Nuclear Board
674:
Chair of the Defence Audit and Risk Assurance Committee
623:
Chief Executive Officer of Defence Equipment and Support
222:, chairs the Defence Council, and is accountable to the
128:
A sign erected under the auspices of the Defence Council
1153:
Director-General Head Office and Commissioning Services
1064:
Minister of State for Defence Procurement and Industry
603:
Second Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence
323:
Minister of State for Defence Procurement and Industry
1436:
737:
735:
1141:Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence
592:Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence
367:Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence
921:
732:
254:. In addition, the three service boards (the
1103:Chief of the Naval Staff and First Sea Lord
429:First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff
928:
914:
215:, who heads a larger Ministry of Defence.
155:, its principal committee, as well as the
16:Governing body of the British Armed Forces
1258:Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
714:"Ben Wallace Named New Defence Secretary"
823:
763:
123:
935:
1437:
1059:Minister of State for the Armed Forces
167:. The Defence Board is chaired by the
909:
136:is the supreme governing body of the
134:Defence Council of the United Kingdom
22:Defence Council of the United Kingdom
1445:Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
151:The Defence Council consists of the
1294:Defence Infrastructure Organisation
870:"How Defence Works (December 2015)"
531:(Minister for Defence Procurement)
13:
1267:United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
901:Ministry of Defence Our Governance
251:
152:
14:
1456:
1379:National Museum of the Royal Navy
894:
1419:
1418:
1331:Single Source Regulations Office
1280:managed on an arm's-length basis
1159:Director-General Security Policy
833:. 10 August 2023. p. 15970.
792:assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
666:Lead Non-Executive Board Member
562:(Minister for the Armed Forces)
481:
67:
27:
1263:Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA)
1162:Lead Non-Executive Board Member
1098:Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff
651:Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff
416:Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff
179:Prior to 1964, there were five
1054:Secretary of State for Defence
862:
837:
817:
806:
777:
773:. 20 March 1964. p. 2545.
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706:
690:Chair of the People Committee
514:Secretary of State for Defence
297:Secretary of State for Defence
213:Secretary of State for Defence
169:Secretary of State for Defence
109:Secretary of State for Defence
1:
1252:Defence Equipment and Support
1069:Minister of State for Defence
699:
311:Minister of State for Defence
269:
205:a smaller Ministry of Defence
1305:Defence Nuclear Organisation
663:Non-executive board members
174:
7:
1118:Commander Strategic Command
587:His Majesty's Civil Service
468:Commander Strategic Command
362:His Majesty's Civil Service
10:
1461:
1310:Ministry of Defence Police
1108:Chief of the General Staff
1093:Chief of the Defence Staff
638:Chief of the Defence Staff
442:Chief of the General Staff
403:Chief of the Defence Staff
1416:
1392:
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1349:(under Strategic Command)
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1288:Defence Business Services
1278:Top-level budget agencies
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35:
26:
1402:Oil and Pipelines Agency
1326:Defence Safety Authority
1319:Regulatory organisations
1156:Director-General Nuclear
1150:Director-General Finance
1146:Chief Scientific Adviser
947:Main Building, Whitehall
146:head of the Armed Forces
1123:Chief of Defence People
1408:Sheffield Forgemasters
1384:Royal Air Force Museum
1353:Defence Secretariat 19
1113:Chief of the Air Staff
455:Chief of the Air Staff
248:
230:for its business. The
129:
745:. Ministry of Defence
244:
181:government ministries
127:
1374:National Army Museum
1347:Defence Intelligence
474:Sir James Hockenhull
461:Sir Richard Knighton
236:His Majesty's Forces
201:Ministry of Aviation
185:British Armed Forces
183:responsible for the
138:British Armed Forces
1394:Public corporations
1245:Arm's-length bodies
937:Ministry of Defence
877:Ministry of Defence
849:Ministry of Defence
785:"How Defence Works"
657:Dame Sharon Nesmith
422:Dame Sharon Nesmith
23:
830:The London Gazette
770:The London Gazette
459:Air Chief Marshal
130:
21:
1432:
1431:
1236:Strategic Command
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1177:
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1030:
743:"Defence Council"
697:
696:
677:Dr Brian Gilvary
559:Minister of State
543:Minister of State
528:Minister of State
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478:
209:Orders-in-Council
122:
121:
114:
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1422:
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1364:Non-departmental
1214:Service commands
1071:(House of Lords)
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964:Service branches
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959:
930:
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845:"Our Governance"
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644:Sir Tony Radakin
617:Aneen Blackmore
612:Director General
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409:Sir Tony Radakin
392:Aneen Blackmore
387:Director General
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98:Agency executive
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49:Preceding agency
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1205:Air Force Board
1190:Admiralty Board
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685:Robin Marshall
579:Alistair Cairns
561:
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448:Sir Roly Walker
354:Alistair Cairns
272:
264:Air Force Board
256:Admiralty Board
177:
165:Air Force Board
157:Admiralty Board
118:
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58:
36:Agency overview
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895:External links
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720:. 25 July 2019
718:Forces Network
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606:Paul Lincoln
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488:Defence Board
482:Defence Board
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1340:Intelligence
1226:Army Command
1221:Navy Command
1036:
989:British Army
955:Armed Forces
880:. Retrieved
876:
864:
852:. Retrieved
848:
839:
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819:
808:
798:14 September
796:. Retrieved
794:. p. 18
791:
779:
768:
759:
747:. Retrieved
724:23 September
722:. Retrieved
717:
708:
566:Luke Pollard
487:
485:
341:Luke Pollard
273:
249:
245:
217:
197:Air Ministry
178:
150:
133:
131:
80:Headquarters
63:Jurisdiction
18:
1231:Air Command
825:"No. 64139"
813:MOD website
765:"No. 43277"
749:11 February
627:Andy Start
552:Lord Coaker
535:Maria Eagle
520:John Healey
435:Sir Ben Key
328:Maria Eagle
316:Lord Coaker
303:John Healey
105:John Healey
88:Westminster
1254:(DE&S)
1200:Army Board
1194:Navy Board
977:Royal Navy
700:References
270:Membership
260:Army Board
228:Parliament
193:War Office
161:Army Board
1355:(defunct)
1046:Political
1023:the Irish
509:Political
292:Political
189:Admiralty
175:Functions
142:the Crown
84:Whitehall
1439:Category
1425:Category
1085:Military
1013:Scotland
655:General
642:Admiral
633:Military
614:Finance
497:Members
472:General
446:General
433:Admiral
420:General
407:Admiral
398:Military
389:Finance
299:(Chair)
280:Members
262:and the
163:and the
113:Chairman
882:16 June
854:16 June
545:in the
226:and to
220:Cabinet
1269:(UKHO)
1260:(DSTL)
1005:nation
500:Title
283:Title
258:, the
203:, and
199:, the
195:, the
191:, the
187:: the
159:, the
92:London
41:Formed
1404:(OPA)
1296:(DIO)
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1018:Wales
873:(PDF)
788:(PDF)
503:Name
286:Name
207:. By
144:, as
884:2016
856:2016
800:2023
751:2011
726:2019
486:The
224:King
132:The
44:1964
1003:By
581:MP
568:MP
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356:MP
343:MP
330:MP
305:MP
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