Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office

The permanent under-secretary of state at the Home Office is the permanent secretary at the Home Office, the most senior civil servant in the department, charged with running its affairs on a day-to-day basis.

List of permanent secretaries

• March 1782: J. Bell
• December 1791: John King
• February 1806 – 1817: John Beckett [later Sir John Beckett, Bart.]
• June 1817 – 1827: Henry Hobhouse
• July 1827 – 1848: Samuel March Phillipps
• 1848–1867: Horatio Waddington
• 1867–1885: Sir Adolphus Frederick Octavius Liddell
• June 1885: Sir H. Maine
• July 1885 – 1895: Sir Godfrey Lushington
• 1895–1903: Sir Kenelm Digby
• 1903–1908: Sir Mackenzie Dalzell Chalmers
• 1908–1922: Sir Edward Troup
• 1922–1932: Sir John Anderson
• 1932–1938: Sir Russell Scott
• 1938–1948: Sir Alexander Maxwell
• 1948–1957: Sir Frank Newsam
• 1957–1966: Sir Charles Cunningham
• 1966–1972: Sir Philip Allen
• 1972–1977: Sir Arthur Peterson
• 1977–1979: Sir Robert Armstrong
• 1979–1988: Sir Brian Cubbon
• 1988–1994: Sir Clive Whitmore
• 1994–1997: Sir Richard Wilson
• 1997–2001: Sir David Omand
• 2001–2005: Sir John Gieve
• 2005–2011: Sir David Normington
• 2011–2012: Dame Helen Ghosh
• 2012–2013: Helen Kilpatrick (acting)
• 2013–2017: Mark Sedwill
• 2017–2020: Sir Philip Rutnam
• 2020–2025: Sir Matthew Rycroft
• 28 March 2025 – 14 April 2025: Simon Ridley (acting)
• 14 April 2025 – 19 February 2026: Dame Antonia Romeo
• 19 February 2026 – 5 April 2026: Simon Ridley (acting)
• From 6 April 2026 – Gareth Davies

See also

• Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
• Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
• Undersecretary

References