TheAdministrator of Affairs of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union and Council of Labour and Defense (Russian:Управляющие делами Совета Народных Комиссаров Союза ССР и Совета Труда и Обороны,romanized: Upravlyayushchie delami Soveta Narodnykh Komissarov Soyuza SSR i Soveta Truda i Oborony),[1][2] orSecretary to the Premier, was a high-standing officer within theSoviet Government whose main task was to co-sign, with thePremier of the Soviet Union, decrees and resolutions made by theAll-Union government. The government apparatus (office of government affairs,Russian:Управление Делами Совета Народных Комиссаров Союза ССР,romanized: Upravlenie Delami Soveta Narodnykh Komissarov Soyuza SSR) prepared items of policy, which the office holder would check systematically against decrees of the Party-Government. This function consisted of several departments and other structural units. The Soviet government apparatus was headed by the Administrator of Affairs who, in accordance with the established order, was a member of the federal government body.[3]