Minister of Supply
# Minister of Supply

The Minister of Supply was the minister in the British Government responsible for the Ministry of Supply, which existed to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to the national armed forces. The position was campaigned for by many sceptics of the foreign policy of the National Government in the 1930s before finally being created in 1939.

In World War II there was a separate Ministry of Aircraft Production; the first minister Beaverbrook later became Minister of Supply. When W. A. Robotham was Chief Engineer of Tank Design in the Ministry of Supply, he demanded sound manganese steel castings for tank tracks, as a broken track could be a death warrant for the crew. The Beaver "rightly" accused him of holding up production, and took a poor view of Robotham's observation "that they had enough unreliable tanks to last us the rest of the war!". In July 1941, 25% of British tanks were immobilised from mechanical failure, although there was no enemy action in the theatres of war!

The Ministry of Aircraft Production was amalgamated into the Ministry of Supply in July 1945.

In the post-war governments, the Ministry became increasingly unpopular with economy-minded Conservatives, who objected to it as a redundant middle-man. This point of view was shared by Reginald Maudling, who served as the Minister under Anthony Eden and refused to continue in office under Harold Macmillan, who had served in a junior role in the Ministry and believed in it. Nevertheless, he agreed to wind it up in 1959.

## Minister of Supply 1939–1959

| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Government |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Leslie Burgin MP for Luton | 14 July 1939 | 12 May 1940 | Liberal National | National IV (Cons.–Lab.Nat.–Lib.Nat.) |
| Leslie Burgin MP for Luton | 14 July 1939 | 12 May 1940 | Liberal National | Chamberlain War (Cons.–Lab.Nat.–Lib.Nat.) |
| Herbert Morrison MP for Hackney South | 12 May 1940 | 3 October 1940 | Labour | Churchill War |
| Sir Andrew Rae Duncan MP for City of London | 3 October 1940 | 29 June 1941 | National | Churchill War |
| Max Aitken 1st Baron Beaverbrook | 29 June 1941 | 4 February 1942 | Conservative | Churchill War |
| Sir Andrew Rae Duncan MP for City of London | 4 February 1942 | 26 July 1945 | National | Churchill War |
| Sir Andrew Rae Duncan MP for City of London | 4 February 1942 | 26 July 1945 | National | Churchill Caretaker |
| John Wilmot MP for Deptford | 3 August 1945 | 7 October 1947 | Labour | Attlee (I & II) |
| George Strauss MP for Lambeth North before 1950 MP for Vauxhall after 1950 | 7 October 1947 | 26 October 1951 | Labour | Attlee (I & II) |
| Duncan Sandys MP for Streatham | 31 October 1951 | 18 October 1954 | Conservative | Churchill III |
| Selwyn Lloyd MP for The Wirral | 18 October 1954 | 7 April 1955 | Conservative | Churchill III |
| Reginald Maudling MP for Barnet | 7 April 1955 | 16 January 1957 | Conservative | Eden |
| Aubrey Jones MP for Birmingham Hall Green | 16 January 1957 | 22 October 1959 | Conservative | Macmillan I |
