Minister of State for Defence

Not to be confused with Secretary of State for Defence or Minister of State for Defence Procurement.

The Minister of State for Defence is a mid-level position in the Ministry of Defence in the British government. It is currently held by Lord Coaker, who took the office on 8 July 2024.^[1]

United Kingdom Minister of State for Defence
Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
Incumbent Lord Coaker since 8 July 2024
Ministry of Defence
Style	Minister
Nominator	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Appointer	The Monarch on advice of the Prime Minister
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
First holder	The Lord Drayson
Website	Official website

Responsibilities

The minister has the following ministerial responsibilities:^[2]

• International relations and defence diplomacy
• Professional military education
• Security
• Arms control and counter-proliferation
• Honours, awards and medicallic recognition
• Heritage and ceremonial
• Royal Hospital Chelsea
• UK Hydrographic Office
• Health and Safety
• Ministry of Defence Police
• Defence Fire and Rescue Service
• Defence Medical Services

List

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Length of term	Political party	Ministry
Minister of State for Strategic Defence Acquisition Reform
	Paul Drayson The Lord Drayson[3]		9 June 2009	6 May 2010	10 months and 27 days	Labour	Brown
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State For Defence
	John Astor The Lord Astor of Hever[4]		28 May 2010	7 May 2015	4 years, 11 months and 9 days	Conservative	Cameron–Clegg (Con.–L.D.)
Minister of State For Defence
	Frederick Curzon The Earl Howe[5]		11 May 2015	26 July 2019	4 years, 2 months and 15 days	Conservative	Cameron II
							May I
							May II
	Annabel Goldie The Baroness Goldie[6]		26 July 2019	13 November 2023	4 years, 3 months and 18 days	Conservative	Johnson I
							Johnson II
							Truss
							Sunak
	Timothy Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound The Earl of Minto		14 November 2023	5 July 2024	7 months and 21 days	Conservative
	Vernon Coaker The Baron Coaker		8 July 2024	Incumbent	1 year and 16 days*	Labour	Starmer

* Incumbent's length of term last updated: 24 July 2025.