Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology

The Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology is a junior Defence minister in the Ministry of Defence of Her Majesty's Government. The current incumbent of the post is Conservative MP, Philip Dunne, in the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Government.

Origins

This ministerial post derives from that of two posts; the procurement aspects of this post were the responsibility of the Minister of Defence Procurement (either a Minister of State or the more junior, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State), while still the defence logistic aspects were the brief of the Minister of State for the Armed Forces.

This post was created in 2007 to reflect the establishment of the Defence Equipment and Support organisation of the UK Ministry of Defence. Lord Drayson was appointed as its first incumbent. Whilst Lord Drayson held the role as a Minister of State, all of his successors have been Parliamentary Under-Secretaries, the most junior ministerial rank in the British Government.

The post was retitled in 2010.

Responsibilities

The Minister is responsible for:

• The Defence Equipment Programme and through life Defence logistics support, including:
  • The Defence Equipment and Support Organisation
  • Defence Support Group (the merger of the Army Base Repair Organisation (ABRO) and the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA))
  • The Defence Industrial Strategy

• Defence Science and Technology, including:-
  • DSTL, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
  • Commercial policy throughout the Department
  • Defence exports
  • International aspects of defence equipment and support

Ministers for Defence Procurement, 1999–2007

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Political party
	The Lady Symons		July 1999	8 June 2001	Labour
	The Lord Bach		8 June 2001	6 May 2005	Labour
	The Lord Drayson		6 May 2005	6 March 2007	Labour

Ministers for Defence Equipment and Support, 2007–2010

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Political party
	The Lord Drayson		6 March 2007	7 November 2007	Labour
	The Lady Taylor		7 November 2007	5 October 2008	Labour
	Quentin Davies MP		5 October 2008	12 May 2010	Labour

Ministers for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, 2010–

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Political party
	Peter Luff		9 June 2010	4 September 2012	Conservative
	Philip Dunne		4 September 2012		Conservative