<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> In the United Kingdom, a secretary of state (SofS) is a Cabinet minister in charge of a government department (though not all departments are headed by a Secretary of State, e.g. HM Treasury is headed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer). </P> <P> There are a number of secretaries of state, each formally titled "Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for ...". Legislation generally only refers to "the Secretary of State" without specifying which one; by virtue of the Interpretation Act 1978 this phrase means "one of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State". These positions can be created without primary legislation, nowadays at the behest of the Prime Minister . </P>

What does the secretary of state do in the uk