TheEconomic and Domestic Affairs Secretariat (EDS) is asecretariat in theUnited KingdomCabinet Office.[1]
It supports theprime minister of the United Kingdom andMinister for the Cabinet Office develop, co-ordinate and agree theUK government's domestic policy across thedepartments of state; with foreign and security policy co-ordinated by the separateNational Security Secretariat (NSS). Together these two secretariats form the core of what is the Cabinet Secretariat, and are the traditional redoubts of high fliers in theUK civil service. Being appointed to roles in EDS are highly coveted by talented civil servants, and competition is intense.
The head of EDS, who reports directly to theCabinet Secretary, is a director general (or, before the mid-'90s renaming, a deputy secretary). It is widely regarded as one of the most powerful roles in the Civil Service due to having regular access to the prime minister, other cabinet-level ministers and their private secretaries, as well as the most senior officials in Whitehall to ensure 'collective agreement'. Without collective agreement and the issuing of a 'clearance' from EDS, departments cannot progress with policy announcements or take forward high profile and significant projects. In order to fulfil its duties, EDS officials work very closely with their counterparts inHM Treasury,10 Downing Street and other teams in the Cabinet Office such as the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit.
The head of EDS (and more recently the head of the Cabinet Secretariats) is sometimes referred to as the Deputy Cabinet Secretary, due to runningCabinet and its subcommittees, as well as brokering policy decisions across government on behalf of the prime minister and his senior advisers. The head of EDS has a secure pass through the door that connects their office in70 Whitehall to10 Downing Street.
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