The first rung on the ministerial ladder for a government back-bencher normally comes when a Member of Parliament is asked by a Secretary of State or Minister of State to become his or her Parliamentary Private Secretary (or PPS).
Often referred to as a Minister’s ‘eyes and ears in Parliament’ or ‘bag carrier’, the Parliamentary Private Secretary undertakes to aid and support the Minister in his or her duties. This can include taking soundings among MPs, being a substitute speaker at a function when the Minister is unavailable, as well as meeting individuals and organisations on behalf of the Minister.
Although Parliamentary Private Secretaries are not paid for their work, it can be rightly assumed that they will vote with the Government on all issues as if they part of the government. As such, it is expected that a Parliamentary Private Secretary would resign in circumstances where he or she felt compelled to oppose the Government.
The Ministerial Code requires that Parliamentary Private Secretaries are not active in Parliament on issues that come within the remit of the Minister to whom they are appointed, although this does not preclude them tabling Parliamentary Questions or being members of Select Committees relating to other topics.
The appointment of a Parliamentary Private Secretary is a matter for the Minister and the Prime Minister, although the Whips Office would normally have to endorse a name put forward prior to the appointment being finalised.
It is also normal for the Leader of the Opposition to have at least one Parliamentary Private Secretary.
