Philip Alexander Hunt, Baron Hunt of Kings Heath,OBE, PC (born 19 May 1949) is a former health administrator and aLabour Co-operative member of theHouse of Lords who served asMinister of State in theDepartment for Energy Security and Net Zero from 2024 to 2025.[1]
Born in 1949, Philip Hunt was educated at the single-sexgrammar schoolCity of Oxford High School for Boys, later theOxford School. He graduated from theUniversity of Leeds in 1970 with aBachelor of Arts degree in political studies.
Hunt became a works study officer in 1972 for theOxford Regional Hospital Board, moving to Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre as hospital administrator in 1974. He was the first Secretary of Edgware and HendonCommunity Health Council. He was the first Chief Executive of theNHS Confederation, and previously Director of the National Association of Health Authorities and Trusts (NAHAT) from its formation in 1990. Before that he was Director of its predecessor organisation, the National Association of Health Authorities (NAHA) from 1984 to 1990. In the1993 Birthday Honours, he was appointed to theOrder of the British Empire as an Officer (OBE) for "services to the NHS".[2]
Hunt was President of the Royal Society for Public Health from 2010 to 2018.[3]
In 1997, Hunt was created alife peer in theHouse of Lords with the titleBaron Hunt of Kings Heath,of Birmingham in the County ofWest Midlands, taking theLabour whip.[4] He served as aParliamentary Under-Secretary of State (PUSS) at the Department of Health from 1999 until his resignation in 2003 over theInvasion of Iraq.
Hunt was re-appointed to government in May 2005 as a PUSS at theDepartment for Work and Pensions. He returned to the Department of Health asMinister of State in January 2007.
Following the appointment ofGordon Brown asPrime Minister, Hunt moved to theMinistry of Justice as a PUSS in July of that year. In the October 2008 government reshuffle, Hunt becameDeputy Leader of the House of Lords andMinister of State for Sustainable Development, Climate Change Adaptation and Air Quality at both theDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the newly createdDepartment of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), later leaving DEFRA in 2009 to work solely at DECC. In June 2009, he was sworn in as a member of thePrivy Council. He left his ministerial offices in May 2010 after Labour lost the general election.
Following theelection ofEd Miliband as Labour Party leader, Hunt was appointed Labour's spokesperson onHome Affairs and theCabinet Office in the House of Lords.[5] He left these roles in September 2012. He served asShadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords from 2010 until 2017.[6] He was a Lords spokesperson for Health, laterHealth and Social Care, from 6 September 2012 until leaving the role on 24 May 2018 to become abackbencher.
In September 2011, Hunt contributed to the bookWhat next for Labour? Ideas for a new generation; his piece was entitledOur NHS: The Labour Party Challenge.[7]
From 2011 until 2014, he served as Chair ofHeart of England NHS Foundation Trust.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Deputy Leader of the House of Lords 2008–2010 | Succeeded by |
| Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Gentlemen Baron Hunt of Kings Heath | Followed by |
