The secretary of state for social services was a position in the UK cabinet with responsibility for the Department of Health and Social Security between 1968 and 1988. Although the department was titled 'Department of Health and Social Security', the title of the cabinet minister with responsibility for the department was 'secretary of state for social services'.[1][2]
It was created by an Order in Council which came into operation on 1 November 1968. It transferred the functions of the Minister of Health and the Minister of Social Security to the new Secretary of State, and dissolved those respective ministries.[3]
It continued until 25 July 1988 when the Department of Health and the Department of Social Security were created.[4]
Though when created the position had responsibility for the National Health Service throughout England and Wales, responsibility for the NHS in Wales was transferred to the secretary of state for Wales in 1969.
The House will notice that my title is wider than that of the proposed new Department. This is in recognition of the fact, as the Prime Minister mentioned in the House last week, that I have been asked to continue my coordination of the whole range of social services, in addition to my responsibility for the new Department.
Following the report of the Committee on the Home Civil Service (Fulton Committee), the Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS) was created in November 1968. It was formed by the merger of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Security under a Secretary of State for Social Services. The Secretary of State was assisted by two ministers of state responsible for health and social security respectively; in 1976 a Minister of Social Security of Cabinet rank was appointed within the department.