Permanent Under-Secretary of State of the Home Office

The Permanent Under-Secretary of State of the Home Office is the permanent secretary of the Home Office, the most senior civil servant in the department, charged with running its affairs on a day-to-day basis.

Home Office 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
 * 17 March 2020: Sir Matthew Rycroft